When We Were So Young
by DemacianSentry
Summary: Love and Hate are two sides of the same coin. Once we love, we love forever. Once we hate, we hate forever. If love is eternal, then hate is eternal. But what happens when we have so much of one, and then start to build up the other? Do we carry both of them with us until we die? More importantly which feeling do we decide to make our greater? Background story on Ashe and Sejuani.
1. When I Found You

**Chapter 1: When I Found You**

_Present. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. The Royal Hall._

For most people, staring down the shafts of twenty halberds connected by the hands of twenty rigid men in suits, would be so very unwise. Most would beg for forgiveness in any offense they might have given and complied with the orders of these guards. But Sejuani was not most people, and Ashe knew that better than anyone on Runeterra.

"Let her be as she wishes!" Ashe commanded from atop her throne.

One guard turned only his head to face the Queen. "But your majesty, she rides her boar! She cannot be trusted to stride around in The Royal Hall on that beast!"

Ashe held up her hand. "I have already given you an order; do not disgrace me by forcing me to repeat it!"

The guards raised their halberds all at once and fell back into a gauntlet formation leading to the Queen's throne. Sejuani chuckled. "Why would such strong men follow the orders of someone so weak?" Insult was a clear intent in her tone.

Ashe looked like a proper Queen as she sat on her throne. Tryndamere had been standing since Sejuani had casually let herself inside the palace, weapon still drawn. "Your Highness, perhaps we should be more cautious of this Neanderthal-like beast. You know what she had done to the envoy of supplies you sent her people's tribe." Even today Tryndamere still found it difficult to behave in a proper royal fashion; actions and words alike.

"That's the pot calling the kettle black!" Sejuani retorted with a grin. Bristle let out a huge puff of air. The noise was a little upsetting to the royal nobles who had been in the hall since before Sejuani's entrance. Mumbled gasps echoed from the high ceiling.

Ashe let out a sigh that only Bristle's intense hearing could pick up, and declared, "All of you…give our guests and I the hall!"

More gasps echoed out from the nobles as the Head of the Royal Guard objected. "But my Queen-!"

"Do you wish to disgrace me some more? Follow my order!" Ashe turned and pointed at Tryndamere. "Not…one word," He looked as if he had some objections himself, "you need to leave as well!"

Tryndamere looked disturbed. "Your Highness, I-."

Ashe held up her hand to silence the future King. "How can you expect me to unify myself with you if you can't even help the cause of unifying the Freljord? Leave for now and try to be more civil in the future." Her orders came out clear as day, but they seemed to be worded as though all her greatest allies were behaving like opposing forces. "Please, my subjects, give us the hall!"

Confused and a bit skeptical of her intentions, all her subjects and guards left the hall. Tryndamere glanced back once to try and find some sign of fear in Ashe's face, but there was none. Only the look of patience waned from her rigid expression.

Once the oversized doors were closed, and only Ashe on her throne and Sejuani atop Bristle remained, a real tension began. "Didn't you get my message?! Why would you send a beckoned call for me to come here alone?! Do you hope to settle this with one decisive contest? Because for someone as weak as you are that would be so incredibly-!"

"Why?" Ashe's voice trembled slightly.

Sejuani stepped down from atop Bristle's saddle, and strode forward towards Ashe's throne. Her flail dragged over the smooth, blue marble floor, permanently scratching its surface. "Why what?"

Ashe stood up from her throne and came down the steps to stand two meters from the Leader of The Winter's Claw. Her facial expression looked slightly pained. "Why the envoy?"

"Why the envoy?!" Sejuani asked as if she had to explain it. "Didn't my message make that clear?!"

Ashe looked as if she hadn't the capacity to concisely respond. "Who have you become?"

Sejuani became enraged. "Who have **I** BECOME?!" She raised her flail and drove it down into the marble floor in front of her. Shattered chunks broke off and flew out from the point of contact as a loud cracking noise echoed inside The Royal Hall for almost a minute.

_Twenty-three years ago. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. Princess Ashe's Royal Bed Chamber._

Though you wouldn't believe it by her status in society, but toys are scarce for a member of the Royal Family. Most importantly for a princess of the Royal Family. It's not a question of money; that was not the issue; it was a question of the princess' role as a leader. Therefore Ashe had stopped receiving toys by the time she was six, and at seven years old she was left with very child-like toys to play with.

"Avarosa's Bow! My dear child you will catch your death!" An elderly handmaiden of the Royal Family exclaimed as she strode quickly past Ashe and closed the windows of her room. "It's as cold as it can be in this harsh winter! Why was your window open?!" The woman said looking down at Ashe with disappointment. The handmaiden's name was Gladys and she was old and portly, but don't let her appearance fool you, under all what appeared to be fat was actually year upon year of muscle buildup. Some guards had a running joke that she could be suited up and used as a barrier breaker in a raid. She did not find it amusing, but Ashe sure did.

Ashe looked over at the door to her room, and then back at Gladys. "I'm surprised you didn't **break** the door down." Ashe gave a slight giggle at her own bit of humor.

Gladys glared down at the young princess. "It would seem that you need to be reminded of how to respect your elders." Gladys walked over to Ashe with arms out to catch her.

Ashe squeaked, "Please, no!" But despite her size Gladys was also quite quick on her feet and snatched Ashe up in her strong, yet graceful arms.

Gladys carried a kicking and thrashing Ashe over to the princess' bed and sat down to lay the princess on her lap, face down. "Time for your punishment!" Gladys declared as she placed her hands on each side of Ashe.

Ashe pleaded for mercy. "Please, I'm sorry! Don't do it!" But her cries turned into gasping giggles as Gladys began tickling the young princess' vulnerable areas.

"How is that? You still feel like making jokes about me?" Gladys was working every spot she knew of.

Ashe giggled and squirmed, shouting, "PLEASE! STOP! I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! BWUHAHAHAHAHA!"

Gladys finally let up and positioned Ashe to be seated on her lap. "Got any more **funny** jokes for Ol' Gladys?" The handmaiden said with a smile.

Ashe wiped tears from her eyes as she settled down. "No, hehe, I'm good. Sorry, tehe." Returning Gladys' smile with her own. Out of everyone in her entire life Ashe only truly trusted two people outside the Royal Family, and Gladys was one of those two. When she had settled completely, and Gladys had helped pat down her tangled hair, Ashe asked her, "Why can't I have new toys?"

Gladys put on an empathetic face and replied, "Oh child, we've been through this before, as well as your mother, you are going to be apart of the congregation in the Royal Hall soon. You won't have the time for such things anymore. When you are eight you shall be decorated in a robe much like your mother's and be involved with the day to day affairs of the land. I'm so sorry, but this is what your life is all about." Gladys stood up, Ashe in tow, and laid the princess down on her bed to start tucking her in. "Just as it has been my life to serve the Royal Family, it will be your life to serve the people of Freljord. Avarosa willing the tribes will unite one day." Gladys paused to lock eyes with Ashe. "I sincerely believe you could make that happen one day," She kissed Ashe's forehead, "I truly do. Now, goodnight and sleep tight."

Ashe nodded and said, "I love you Gladys, goodnight!"

As Gladys extinguished the candle's flame and closed Ashe's door she let out, "O bless you child, bless you!"

Comfort took a deep hold of Ashe as she fell into slumber. The night was young, but her dreams came early.

When people dream it is usually about odd things that stand in to act like metaphors for something in their lives. But Ashe's dream came early because it wasn't a dream; it was a blessing from Avarosa herself.

In her dream she was the vision of Avarosa she had seen in ancient books. She was walking down the steps that led from the palace in the middle of the night. Ashe saw things in the landscape that existed at the time before the night had taken her. As she strode past guards who bowed and people who kneeled she noticed a shimmering light coming from a barn house used to stable the Royal Horse's. She went closer and closer, but as she went time seemed to slow down all around her. Snowflakes were coming down at such a pace that each one could be examined for all their uniqueness.

Upon reaching the barn she pushed the door, which normally has to be pulled out, and saw a sight beyond her understanding. As if it couldn't be explained, but still understood, this light of some form held out what Ashe believed was a hand, but it didn't look like one.

The light started to dim out of existence as Ashe noticed a similar light making up her existence. This light receded more and more so Ashe dashed forward to share her own light with it. When the two sources connected they exploded in a bright flash. This woke Ashe straight up.

Waving her arms around like she was still trying to touch the light, Ashe realized she was still in her bed. 'Never dismiss a sign from Avarosa.' The words that her mother gave her when she was only four echoed in her mind. She knew what had to be done, and she knew she had to do it now, but she really didn't know why.

As quickly as she could, Ashe raided her closet for winter wear and got dressed in a hurry. Her clothes all looked too formal, even for winter clothes, so she grabbed a plain under sheet from her bed and fashioned it into a robe.

Once dressed, she went up to her bookshelf and pushed in three separate books. After the third was all the way in a loud noise could be heard from the back of the bookshelf and the whole shelf swung out to reveal a passageway. Ashe had been told by her personal guard how to access this exit from the palace if it ever came under siege. She knew the whole system of tunnels by heart; she had to by Royal Law.

Quickly but quietly she made her way through the tunnels. At the exit from the tunnels, nearest the barn house from her dream, a guard post was stationed for the purposes of guarding the actual entrance where this passageway exit was.

Ashe hefted a stone from the tunnel and hurled it over the guard's heads at the ground on the far side of the entranceway. It made a muffled sound that mimicked the fall of a footstep trying to be silent. This was not Ashe's first time sneaking out of the palace to misbehave on her own. As the guards followed up on the bait, she quickly dashed into the nearest snow bank.

For a few hundred meters she had to crawl through the snow because the guard's vision would still be able to make out her form, even with the soft-white sheet that meshed well with the pale-snow.

Once Ashe was free to walk she hurried herself along to the barn house from her dream. As she came near it she noticed the same flickering light from her dream. She went up to the window near the backdoor to take a look. Inside she saw an unstable fire, with a girl dressed in what appeared to be a grain sack cut open with holes for her head and arms, trying to keep the surrounding hay from catching fire from the drifting ashes.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Ashe called out as she ran to open the backdoor. What she saw through the window instantly changed when she opened the door. The girl was facing her with a slender rock, sharpened roughly like a blade.

"STAY BACK! I"LL KILL YOU!" The girl screamed in a defiant tone that matched her stance.

Ashe was immediately struck with fright. Then she looked down and noticed a wound on the girl's shoeless right shin. "You're hurt!" Ashe moved forward and the girl backed up a little.

"I MEAN IT! STAY BACK!" She roared as she swung the makeshift rock-blade through the air in front of her.

Ashe ignored her attack and bent down to grab the girl by her wounded leg. She let out a whelp and fell down onto the hay behind her. "I'm sorry, but you can't let the cold air freeze the blood on your wound!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" The ruffled girl swiped at Ashe and made a tear in her cloak.

Ashe seemed unfazed by her attack and gripped at the tear to peel off a long shred of cloth. Ignoring the girl's angry demeanor she started to dress the wound on her leg. Once it was tied tight she looked up and said, "There, its good now, but you need to have it looked at by a doctor!" A smile grew across her face.

The girl was left dumbstruck, glaring at Ashe. Her breathing sounded clunky and bewildered, like after running fast. The rock-blade in her hand was trembling from the shakes in her body. "Who…w-who are you?"

"I guess I could ask the same," Ashe smiled, "but my name is Ashe. What's yours?"

The girl looked at Ashe, as if that wasn't what she had been asking. A bit of terror was present in her expression. Ashe actually thought to herself, 'She looks like a scared, lost puppy.' But decided not to say that out loud. Despite her misbehaving nature, she still had to behave with proper manners; that had been drilled into her from birth.

"M-my…my name?!" She asked with great confusion. The girl couldn't understand why this stranger wasn't trying to hurt her.

Ashe grinned. "Yeah, your name silly, what is it?"

The girl reached out with her free hand and gripped Ashe by her long hair. She held the rock-blade up to her face and said with a trembling face of anger, "Don't call me silly…you…you…stupid…whatever you are!" Her eyes were fierce. So much so that they reminded Ashe of a dangerous animal backed into a corner.

Ashe had finally gotten close enough to start noticing the girl's face. Her hair was the same white shade that her own was, but it looked like it had been cut short by a rusty saw. Her eyes were just as ice blue as Ashe's were when she'd see them in the mirror. Ashe could have believed she was a twin if she had even known who this girl was.

"Oww! Your hurting me! Please, I just wanted your name! I'm sorry! Please!" Ashe pleaded with the girl; not for her life, but just for the name, for some reason that's all she could think about. Not the rock-blade on her face. Not the threat of immediate danger to her life; just the girl's name.

The girl released her, but kept the rock-blade up. Ashe didn't pull away once she was free. She actually incredibly confused the girl and got closer so that there faces were close enough to breathe the same air. The crazed girl refocused on her ignorant enemy. "Weaklings like you would die before the winter's end!" The girl exclaimed.

Ashe looked a little saddened. "Please, what is your name?"

The girl couldn't understand or hope to understand why this over-luxury embellished girl was so intent on getting her name, and not escaping or attacking while she has a chance. "You want my name? Is it so you know who you fight before you try to kill me? If that's the case then fine! My name is Sejuani! Now defend yourself!"

Ashe pushed towards the girl as the rock-blade brushed past her face so she could embrace her in a hug. With her head nestled into Sejuani's chest she said, "Sejuani, that's a great name."

Sejuani had been about to drive the sharp tip of her rock-blade into Ashe's back, but when she heard the girl say her name she paused to try and accept that her embrace wasn't a tackling attack. "W-what…what are you doing?! Release me!" Sejuani stopped in mid-stroke of prying Ashe off of her to realize her vision had become blurry. 'What is this?' She thought to herself. 'What did she do to me?! My eyes! I can't see straight!' She blinked and looked up, but no water came down from above her. 'What's on my face?! If it's not water, then what is it?!' Sejuani felt a tickle in her throat followed by a light gasp that came from…from…her. She didn't know what was happening to her. She never felt these things before. 'What kind of sorcery is this? Why is it hard to breathe?!' She gasped for air as she felt more and more of this strange liquid, cover her face. Her eyes became too blurred to see through and they actually became hard to keep open. Something inside her fought every instinct she had learned from birth and forced her to let the rock-blade fall to the ground as she returned Ashe's embrace. "What's happening to me?!" She buried her head into the top of Ashe's head and breathed deep. It was so sweet and pleasant; she had never had such an aroma pass through her nostrils. She wanted every breath to taste this good for the rest of her life. 'Who are you?! And why do I feel so…so…so…strange?'

As Sejuani's tears lessened and her breathing became stable, Ashe took the queue and released her. Sejuani was hard to let go of, the girl wanted to keep smelling her hair. 'That's weird, I guess.' Ashe thought to herself. Once she was free and could meet her eyes with the eyes of this girl so very close, she said, "Hey, are you hungry?"

Sejuani wiped her eyes with both hands and returned her eyes to lock with Ashe's. "Yeah."

"Wait here! I'll be back soon!" Ashe made a gesture with her hand to keep Sejuani where she was and got up to leave.

Sejuani reached out both hands and tried to grab her, like she was something Sejuani wanted to keep for herself. Every step Ashe made towards the door felt like something was breaking away from her. Something she never had, but always wanted. Something she can't believe a person could live without. Something she might even kill just to keep. "Y-you…you will come back, right?!"

At the door Ashe turned around to say, "Of course. I promise!" She smiled.

"Promise? What is that?" Sejuani had never heard the word before.

Ashe looked puzzled. "Well…look I'll explain it when I get back, but just know it means I have to come back or I'm a bad person!" Then she took off back the way she came.

Sejuani was left the way she had been before Ashe had found her, but with a little something different inside. "A bad person? A promise? Hmmm."

When most people wait on someone they begin to worry by the hours that pass. For someone you love it is usually the minutes since the time they said they'd be back. But all of this was so new and fresh for Sejuani so her worry built itself up on every passing second. She couldn't understand what was up with herself. She had never worried over when someone would be back unless it was someone she shared a hut with. Then she only kept track of when they would return. She felt like Ashe was different then the people from her tribe. She stayed with people who she could only trust with not killing her in her sleep, because she was no threat to them. But with Ashe she felt like she could trust her so much more. She was so miserably confused. Sejuani had never met a single person that didn't want to fight her for dominance. This feeling of mutual submittance was almost appalling to the way she had been raised. 'What is wrong with me?!' She cried out in her mind. 'Why am I waiting here? She could return with stronger allies and have me killed?' Some in her tribe had alliances up to the point where they would hurt others to keep each other safe. It never lasted too long with struggles for power and the like, but it still happened.

Suddenly Sejuani felt the air in her lungs leave her body all at once with a feeling of incredible tension as the door opened. But she breathed in relief as Ashe came through the door alone. Her feeling of tension immediately returned as she noticed Ashe holing a few metal skewers in her hand. She stood straight up, brandishing her rock-blade, and screamed, "SO YOU DO WANT TO KILL ME?!" Sejuani felt a thousand voices screaming in her head that she had been betrayed, and she felt fear for the first time in her life. But not for her life, only for the feeling that something so great that she had just been given, was just a shallow lie.

Ashe looked bewildered and looked at the skewers in her hand. Then she met Sejuani's eyes once more. "Oh no! These aren't for fighting!" She held out a sack that seemed soaked in some kind of fluid. "These are to cook the meat! See?!"

Sejuani lowered her rock-blade as she took heed of Ashe's words. 'They're for the meat?!' "Oh, okay. Um…yeah."

Ashe set down a backpack she had on and quickly started to skewer the chunks of meat. Sejuani grabbed at on of the raw chunks and pulled it to her mouth. "No, don't do that! You'll get sick! You have to cook it first!"

"It's fine!" Sejuani said trying to get the meat chunk free of Ashe's hand.

Ashe wrenched it loose and stated. "You don't eat it raw! Don't be dense! Let me cook it first!"

Sejuani didn't have much of an argument; she had never been **given** food before. She decided to sit still and watch Ashe stick the prepped skewers into the ground near the fire.

As the fire crackled and Ashe got the last skewer set just right she looked up to see Sejuani eyeing the cooking meat with lust. She licked her lips constantly and looked a little sad. "Fine!" Ashe let out as she pulled a raw chunk off of the last skewer and handed it to her. Sejuani dug right in. As she did, Ashe could see tears run down her face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" Sejuani exclaimed as she batted Ashe's hand, which was trying to wipe the tears, away. The meat tasted like nothing she had ever had before. It tasted better than regular meat.

"You like the meat? It's marinated!" Ashe explained.

Sejuani nodded her head. She could taste something odd in it, like oil and something that made her mouth tingle in different ways. Shred after shred of meat was torn away and roughly chewed by this savage girl.

As Ashe looked on, trying not so show her notice of more tears, she realized just how starving this girl might have been. The fire roared hot and quickly cooked the meat. When it was ready, Ashe put on a leather glove and grabbed one of the skewers. She gave the matching glove to Sejuani and said, "Here, it's ready!" But Sejuani grabbed the skewer with her bare hands and started devouring the meat. "No! You'll burn your hands if-!" Ashe notice that Sejuani wasn't reeling in pain from the heated metal; instead she didn't seem to notice. Ashe wondered if she was really that hungry. Then she grabbed one of Sejuani's hands.

"Let go!" Sejuani tried to pull free, but Ashe held tight.

Ashe held her wrists with one hand as she became marveled by the feel of her soft fingers on Sejuani's rough hands. It was an incredible feeling that gave her nostalgia of her father's hands when she was young. "Wow! Your hands!"

Sejuani kept trying to pull free, but she was way more concerned with eating to stop and fight the girl. "What about 'em?"

"They're so rough!" Ashe set her left cheek on Sejuani's right hand and rubbed up and down to feel the texture.

Still incredibly hungry, Sejuani stopped pulling meat from the skewer to soak in the feeling of Ashe's baby-smooth cheek. As Ashe continued to rub her cheek on Sejuani's hand, she also started to caress the girl's soft face. Ashe looked up and smiled as she pulled away. Sejuani didn't feel like she wanted the moment to end, but when it did she got another new and strange feeling that made her want to hide away. Like shame, but not the same kind of shame as losing honor. More like a shame of holding onto something for far longer than she was comfortable with.

Ashe got her backpack open and pulled out a pillow and a wool blanket. "Here!" She held them out. "Eat your fill and have a good night sleep! I have to get back to my home or I'm going to be in trouble." Ashe smiled sweetly at her.

Sejuani took the blanket and pillow into her lap and felt her whole body cringe down into them. She gasped in air and tasted more of the strange liquid along with the pleasing scent of Ashe's hair in the fabric.

"What's wrong?" Ashe said as she bent over Sejuani.

Sejuani lifted herself from the pillow and exclaimed, "Nothing! I'm fine!" Then she threw the pillow behind her on the hay and joined it with the blanket draped over her body. She lay there shaking. Not because she was cold. It just felt like she couldn't stop shaking.

Ashe crawled over and lay down next to the suddenly timid girl. She put an arm her and whispered, "It's okay, you'll be fine here." Sejuani's eyes from Ashe's point of view looked like they wanted to believe everything she said. Ashe pulled the robe pin from its spot, etched with Royal markings, handed it to Sejuani and said, "If anyone asks you what you are doing here, show them this. They will leave you alone. I promise." Ashe leaned in and kissed Sejuani's forehead. "Have a good night sleep okay?"

"W-what was that?" Sejuani asked in great puzzlement.

Ashe looked confused. "That was a kiss goodnight, silly, uh I mean, sorry."

"With your lips?" Sejuani inquired. She had seen grown men and women kiss while they made 'love' as they called it, next to her in the hut. But she had never known it was done on somewhere besides the lips. "That's not a kiss."

Ashe grinned. "Oh you mean a real kiss. Like this?" Ashe leaned in to peck Sejuani's face, but she cringed away in fright.

"No!" Sejuani closed her eyes. When she opened them she realized Ashe had backed away.

"Sorry. Goodnight!" At that she rose up and walked out the door; leaving Sejuani alone once again.

Sejuani grabbed at the hay where Ashe's head had been laying and snorted it for her scent, but got more of it from the pillow. She pulled out the robe pin and studied over it before clenching it tight to her chest. All of a sudden she wasn't hungry, her chest was tight. She grabbed at it and wondered, 'What is wrong with me?! What is wrong with me?!' Over and over she asked herself until somewhere between her thoughts on meeting Ashe, her questions for herself, and the sweet scent from the pillow, carried her into a deep slumber. It was the most peaceful sleep she had ever known. And if it hadn't been for how troubled she was feeling internally, she might have been able to enjoy it so much.


	2. Forced Healing

**Chapter 2: Forced Healing**

_Present. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. The Royal Hall._

"I have always been strong!" Sejuani roared. "I will never **become** anything else!"

Ashe bent down and picked up a large shard of marble. She gazed at it as she rose. She looked at it as if it were something precious to her that had just died.

Sejuani grinned. "Fret not! I doubt your face will shatter in the same way!"

Ashe looked up at, not Sejuani, but at Bristle. She pocketed the shard and walked over to him. He lowered his head as she started to run her hands through his fur. "It is a pleasure to see you once more, old friend."

Bristle gave her a soothing huff of air from his nostrils.

Sejuani had been in the same spot facing the throne since Ashe had walked past. She spun around and let out, "Do not dismiss your opponent and face your back to them! Only the weak trust those who oppose them!"

Ashe was fixated on Bristle. "My how you've gotten so big. Having you been eating a lot, or is it just muscles from battle?"

Bristle gave her two quick puffs of air and licked her on the cheek.

"Hehe." Ashe giggled at the cool gel-like fluid that was dragged across her face.

"Bristle! Enough!" Sejuani barked.

The large boar-like creature stomped the ground with his front left hoof and made a harsh grunting noise.

"Don't you talk back to me! She's the enemy!"

Ashe was still brushing Bristle's fur when she looked up to Sejuani and said, "He sure doesn't think so. You know…they say animals have better instincts than-."

Sejuani grabbed the hand Ashe was using to brush bristle's fur by her wrist and yanked it up. "Now is not the time for playing games!"

Ashe just gazed into Sehuani's eyes and exclaimed. "You could never be bothered to ask someone to stop first. You always went straight to forcing them. Didn't you?"

_Twenty-three years ago. Freljord. Outside __Avarosa's Palace. Royal Horse Stable._

Sejuani had a tight grip on the right wrist of the girl who had been hovering over her. "It burns! Stop it!"

"Of course it burns!" Ashe exclaimed. "It's one hundred and sixty-five proof alcohol; the burning feeling means it is working!"

Sejuani set her hand on Ashe's chest and pushed her back and off of her. "It's fine! I know how to fix it! I just…I was hoping it would've healed on its own."

Ashe looked annoyed. "Well it won't. I need to clean it, and a doctor needs to sew it up." Then she charged at Sejuani, held her down, and dumped the remaining contents of the bottle in her hand on top of Sejuani's wound.

Sejuani swatted and lashed out at Ashe in a mad rush, screaming in agony. She came to her senses and this time threw Ashe back hard enough to land her on her back. "What is wrong with you?!" She demanded in anger.

Ashe sat up and said, "We were getting nowhere with just dabbing on a little at a time. That was much faster."

Sejuani got her knees under her to get close to Ashe so she could land a hard punch on her face. Ashe reeled back and put her hands up in a feeble defense. Sejuani's breathing was heavy. "Don't…do…that…again." Her tone was deadly serious.

Ashe made a whimpering reply. "Okay, okay, I won't."

Sejuani sat back down. "What was that stuff supposed to do, anyways?"

Ashe didn't want to make a scene, so she just let it go. "It's supposed to clean the wound so you don't get an infection."

Sejuani made a scowling face. She reached over to the fire and picked up a log that was two thumbs wide and half covered in hot charcoal. She held it up for Ashe to see it. "This is what you do with wounds." She grabbed a stick from the pile and bit down on it while grabbing a hold of her leg with her free hand, and then directed the partially scorched log down at her wound.

Ashe's eyes went wide. "NO!" She lunged out to tackle Sejuani. "You can't do that! It won't heal that way!"

Sejuani screamed through the stick in her mouth. "Het off oft hme!" She struggled with her free hand to push back on Ashe's face while she used her occupied hand to try and get Ashe's arm near it to release her.

"Don't do thisAAAAHHHH!" Ashe came off of Sejuani and clutched her right upper arm. She began to cry and moan from pain.

Sejuani didn't need genius to understand what had happened. "Idiot! You burned yourself!"

Ashe looked up at Sejuani, eyes wet with tears. "ma…mai…mmm I didn't do it! You did!" Her lips were trembling.

The brutish little girl sighed in annoyance. In that moment she felt the almost natural instinct to let this crying moron deal with her own pain and get back to searing her wound shut. Any idiot who gets hurt trying to be stupid deserves their pain, and has to deal with it themselves. That was the way Sejuani had been raised. Well, not raised, but that was the life she knew. But for this girl, who obviously had lived this long without that fact being forced upon her, Sejuani felt…actually she didn't know what she was feeling. Guilt was a concept she hadn't been made accustom to. Neither was concern for others well being. She couldn't handle it. More of these weird feelings that made no sense. No sense to her life, or how it has been as far back as she could remember.

Without thinking, literally, she went out of the stable and got some fresh snow into her palms. When she came back in Ashe was curled up on the ground, cautiously attempting to inspect her injury. Sejuani kneeled down next to her. "Get up."

"W-why?" Ashe nearly begged.

"We have to get the snow on your burn." As Ashe arose, Sejuani started to try and get her gown off.

Ashe wiggled enough to get free. "Stop! What are you doing?!"

Sejuani got her hands on Ashe again. "We have to get this cloth off of you to get the snow on the burn."

"No!" Ashe struggled to be free again. "I don't want to take my clothes off!"

Sejuani tilted her head to one side. "Clothes?"

Ashe looked up at her with an annoyed look on her wet face. "Yeah, clothes, what we wear. What you're wearing or whatever you call that."

Sejuani shook her head, as if to shrug away this conversation. "Whatever…we need to get to the burn." She looked around and found her rock-blade. "Here, I'll cut down to the burn." She grabbed Ashe by her collar.

"No!" Ashe pushed her back with the hand of her injured arm. The rubbing of the cloth on her wound via her quick movement caused her more pain. She cringed. "The staff will ask me how it happened, and they'll find you!"

Sejuani almost asked her, 'Why do you care so much about me?' but realized she didn't have the time. That burn was getting worse by the second. She watched as Ashe grabbed her own collar and started to shiver as she tried to force herself into pulling down her dress gown. She didn't seem to have it in her to do it. Sejuani closed her eyes, 'Why do I care so much about you?' She opened her eyes and said, "Okay, look, I'll make you a deal. Let me help you with the burn, and I won't patch my wound with the fire." Immediately her head began racing. A conscious that had kept her alive for all of the life that she could remember began screaming at her, 'What is wrong with you?! Why are you doing this?! What is there to gain from this?! She is weak! Let her suffer her weakness alone!' She shook those thoughts away.

Ashe nodded her head. "Okay. Thank you." She reached back and unbuttoned a few buttons as she pulled her gown down enough to expose the burn just below her shoulder.

Sejuani cupped some snow in her hand and turned to grab Ashe with her free hand on the opposite shoulder to the injury. She paused to take it what she only could now see. Ashe's bar skin, on her chest, on her arm. It was so…seamless. She had seen her own skin in the reflection of a half thawed pond in the summer. Her own skin seemed so very rough by comparison.

She ignored what her eyes could not explain to her head and brought the snow to be placed on Ashe's burn. Instantly Ashe cringed and tried to back away. Sejuani followed her to keep up pressure and it forced her to pin Ashe to the ground. Ashe writhed in pain as Sejuani got her free forearm across her chest to hold Ashe's back down. The pained little girl began crying and shaking her head around. Sejuani had to push hard on the burn to keep her injured arm from moving. Then she felt a tug on the hair at the back of her head. Ashe had latched on with her free hand. Sejuani needed her to stop struggling. She couldn't think of what to say, so she brought her forehead down to lock with Ashe's, just to stop her from moving around so much.

With her head so close, and with Ashe's eyes clenched tight, leaking fluid, Sejuani began to have disturbing nostalgia. A girl, a few winters older than her, from as many winters ago. Holding their heads together with a grip behind hers, just the way Ashe was doing now. She was begging, begging to be held tight. She didn't want to die. She wanted to live. She was so pretty. That's what Sejuani could remember most. That was why she was dying. Her father found her just as pretty. So many times he would find her to be oh so pretty. But that morning was the last time anyone was going to say she is pretty. Blood. Sejuani could remember being relieved. Relieved to see this crying face inches from her eyes, instead of the blood that poured from beneath the girl's stomach.

Sejuani wanted Ashe to stop. So she said, word for word, what the girl's father had told her. "Stop now…be still…this will all be over soon." She said it as soft as she could, but the still new feelings of guilt and shame wrecked her on the inside. She began to cry.

Ashe's eyes opened as the first droplet fell from above her. Their eyes were wet and locked with one another. "Thank you." She muttered.

She muttered oh so softly that it broke Sejuani. She clenched her eyes tight and let out, "You're weak! You were so weak!" She choked on her sobs. "I was so weak! I did nothing for you! I'm so weak!"

The snow between Sejuani's hand and Ashe's arm had compacted and melted into hard slush. Ashe didn't know what to make of what Sejuani was saying, but she seemed to be soothed by having someone to share her pain with.


	3. Healing Touch

**Chapter 3: Healing Touch**

_Present. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. The Royal Hall._

This was one of those times in Sejuani's life where she found herself utterly perplexed on how to deal with Ashe. A flail tight in one of her grips, with the other locked around Ashe's wrist. She tried to think, but Bristle forced her hand, literally. He stepped in and swung his left tusk just hard enough to lift Sejuani up into the air and back a whole meter at least to the ground. She gasped for air. Bristle had, seemingly, intentionally hit her with a broad part of his tusk so as to just knock the wind out of her.

She wrestled her erratic breaths as she rose. "Have you gone berserk?!" She pulled in as big of a gulp of air as she could and continued, "Who is your enemy here?!"

"I don't believe he sees any enemies here." Ashe said casually as she went over to offer her hand of assistance to Sejuani. "And neither do I."

Sejuani's face was a seething scowl. "Don't you ever touch me!"

Ashe cringed a little, just enough to let it show on her face. "I know you don't really mean that. I know you can't."

Rage had almost completely consumed Sejuani at this point. She flung her flail around, straight at Ashe, but the chain just brushed over her head. She didn't even flinch. "Nerves of steel are a good sign of a glorious fight!" An almost chilling sense of delight rolled off the tip of her tongue.

Ashe had a different sense of delight filling her. "I know you weren't going to hit me. I know you won't." She started to pace forwards.

Sejuani matched every step of hers with a retreating one as she sailed the flail through the air around Ashe. "Stop! Draw your bow and fight! Don't come at me without a weapon fully brandished!" Up and over, around and around, her swings whizzed through the air past Ashe, striking the floor and making more shattered bits of marble scatter across the floor.

Ashe was completely unfazed as she continued her seemingly fruitless advance to make a physical connection with Sejuani. "I know you won't hit me. I know you don't want to."

Bristle must have sensed it a millisecond before Sejuani did, because on her most recent swing he jabbed his right tusk in to force the flail to wrap around it. The last spin dug the flail's mace into and out of his flesh, lightly spraying Ashe and Sejuani in his blood.

As if it was one and only one voice, the two women shouted, "NO!" in perfect unison.

Ashe was the first one to his aid, followed by Sejuani, who let her weapon's grip hang loosely off of Bristle's tusk. "I'm sorry! Bristle please! I would never-!"

"But you did!" Ashe drew Sejuani's attention with the first angry tone she had made in a long while. "He dove in because…I can't believe you were really going to hit me!"

Sejuani shook her head. "No, I was about to pull it back…wait a fucking second! Fuck you! You're my-!"

"SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ONE OF YOUR WARCRIES RIGHT NOW!" Ashe roared throughout her own throne room. She quickly went beside her throne and began to tear a long strip of fine cloth from one of its hanging banners.

Sejuani turned to face Bristle. "My friend…I would never…I would never hurt you. Please? I never meant to…"

Bristle just glared at her. Almost as if, besides the fact he can't speak, he was making it clear there was nothing that needed to be said. Everything was clear as day, she fucked up, bad.

"Move!" Ashe came in and pushed Sejuani aside. She started to wrap the cloth around Bristle's wound. Then she spilt the end of the wrap and cinched it tight. She slowly turned to face Sejuani as she brushed the beast's fur with her hands. He gave a pleased huff of air. "All you ever do is try to hurt those who care for you. Why?"

_Twenty-three years ago. Freljord. Outside Avarosa's Palace. North Palace Sqaure._

Ashe strutted straight out into the square with her white robe. She turned around to make sure she was being followed; she wasn't. "Come on."

Sejuani was hiding behind a barrel in the adjacent alleyway. She looked all around. "It's the middle of the day. What if someone sees me?"

"No one will pay us any mind. Everyone here is a subject, same as you."

"I'm **not** your subject." Sejuani expressed.

Ashe walked back over to grab her shoulder. "But you are my friend. Just trust me and come along."

The word was somewhat unfamiliar to Sejuani. 'Her 'friend', what does that mean?' Sejuani had seen men who called each other friends, betray and kill one another before. Friend was more of a 'temporary partnership' in her understanding.

"How long will we be friends?"

Ashe was now as confused as Sejuani. "Until we don't want to be anymore…I don't know."

'I knew it.' Sejuani thought.

"But I don't ever want to stop being your friend; so it's up to you."

Sejuani took one more look around before reluctantly allowing Ashe to lead her across the square.

They passed a few shops that were just starting to open their doors, as well as a few vendors setting up their goods. Sejuani was almost in awe of all the 'things' they actually had. She bumped her arm into Ashe's. "Hey?"

Ashe stopped to respond. "What's up?"

Sejuani was still gazing around. "Where did all of this come from? There's food and metal and…stuff, everywhere."

Ashe looked around as if she didn't know what she was supposed to say. "Wherever they get it from…I don't know."

"There's so much of it." Sejuani was like a kid in a candy store, but she was a kid in an environment rich with things she so rarely found that they were almost precious to her.

Ashe grabbed Sejuani's hand and tugged hard. "Come on, we're getting behind schedule."

"Behind what?"

"Just come on." Ashe roped along Sejuani every remaining step they made through the square until they reached a building with a large red cross on the sign. "Here, this is where we need to go."

Sejuani looked at the sign. "Red means danger."

Ashe spun around to gawk at her. "What?"

"That's what she told me…when I was young and she was still…" Sejuani became very still and quiet.

Ashe was curious, but not enough to stop pushing the issue at hand. "Okay, whatever, just hurry up inside."

Sejuani wasn't in a mood to resist so her footsteps just matched with Ashe's as she went inside the building. Once inside she became tense. Along the walls were sharp instruments and multiple boxes of varying sizes marked with red crosses. "Red means danger."

Ashe just continued to drag her along. "Would you just stop with that? You're going to be just fine; in fact better than ever."

In an instant a man came out from the back of the counter, wiping blood on a white rag. "Oh…" He stopped to take in what he saw. "I was just coming up her for some gauze. A patient just got out of surgery…w-wait just a minute! What are you two doing in here?! If you're hear to take shit then let me tell you what you're really doing! You're depriving the injured people of this kingdom-!"

"Mr. Chandler! It's me, Ashe!" She pulled back her hood to reveal her face.

With one hand still high in the air he changed moods very quickly. "Oh…my dear majesty…I-I'm so, so very sorry, I…" He paused for a moment. "Wait, does Doris or your mother know you are here?"

Ashe shook her head. "No, and I need to keep it that way."

Mr. Chandler brought his raised hand to his head to feel his despair at her reply, ignoring the blood that hadn't yet dried being smeared on his face. "Oh my dear sweet blessing. How unblessed you are to me oh so very often. Your mother will have my head this time."

"Please?! This is important!" Ashe begged.

"Oh my lady, please do not beg of me. I am reluctantly and un-reluctantly yours to command, but you must know my reluctance is from my great fear of Doris' blade?" The man was almost bowing. To Sejuani it seemed as if he was a servant of Ashe.

"I promise there will be none of that. Her blade is mine to command, and I shall see to it that it is never drawn in search of your blood." Ashe sounded very convincingly regal.

"More and more royal by the second…you will no doubt be our finest ruler ever." This time he actually bowed to her.

"Enough flattery, I'm late and this is important." Ashe's voice changed almost seamlessly back to what Sejuani was used to hearing.

Mr. Chandler held out his hands as he came around the corner. "Show me your injury and I shall make it so that it never seemed to have even occurred."

Ashe pulled Sejuani forward to the man. "It's actually her that needs your healing touch."

He turned to Sejuani and smiled. "Always there to help the needy, such a blessed princess you are."

Sejuani turned to Ashe in shock. "You're a princess?!"

Mr. Chandler jerked his head to the side in confusion. "You mean you aren't aware? That you don't know the royalty of the hand that you hold? Where did you grow up?"

Ashe looked out the window at the ever-rising sun. "That doesn't matter. She needs your help."

The man looked down to notice the wound on Sejuani's shin. "Certainly your majesty." He reached down and scooped up Sejuani in his arms. Her instincts took over and she wrestled free to drop onto the floor in a thud. Immediately she crawled to the nearest wall and set her back to it while she grabbed and held out the closest sharp object she could find. This happened to be a scalpel. "Whoa!" He yelped. "My lady, she acts like a wild beast. Is she from the mountains? My lady I do not think I should-!"

"You will and you shall!" Ashe snapped at him quickly before approaching Sejuani on the floor. "Calm down." She said slowly. "He's going to heal you. The way you promised me you'd let yourself be healed."

Sejuani looked like a nervous wreck, with a hint of fire in her eyes. "No, red means danger, he's going to-!"

Ashe sunk herself into Sejuani, narrowly avoiding the scalpel, to embrace the frightened girl. "I trust this man with my life. I have before and I do so now with yours. Please, I want you to be healed. It will be alright."

It was there again; that warm and calming feeling inside Sejuani. As if nothing else mattered but the pressure of this girl, somewhere, anywhere, on her. Ashe's touch was starting to become like an addictive drug to Sejuani. She couldn't do anything her instincts told her not to, until Ashe made a gesture of physical contact with her. And this was one of the best she had ever felt. Better than a hold of her shoulder, better than feeling that soft hand clutching her own. It was peaceful and relaxing, almost soothing, like water from a hot spring. She had felt it once, the only time she and that young girl had ever bathed. Sitting in that water was so serene, so calming. This embrace Ashe had given her was causing her nostalgia of that wonderful hour she spent in the hot spring. She knew it had to be, or she wouldn't have felt just the same. "Okay, I trust you." 'Wait I trust her…I mean, do I?' "I'll let him heal me." 'What are you saying? You can't let him touch you!'

Ashe squeezed tighter than before. "That's good to hear."

As her the voice in her head ensued with screaming doubts, she breathed in the smell that was Ashe and let it all go. "Just promise me I'll be okay."

Ashe sat back and smiled. "You will, I promise."

He was almost like a brick wall to Sejuani's blissful feeling when he chimed in, "I can give you a sedative to help relax you while I operate."

Sejuani immediately glanced at Ashe. "It's pain medicine. It's to keep you from feeling all of the pain."

Sejuani latched her hand on Ashe's arm. "I don't want to go numb!"

"Okay." Ashe nodded. She turned to face Mr. Chandler. "No drugs, just the stitching."

He sighed. "Very well, just don't say I didn't warn you."

Ashe personally led Sejuani into the backroom and onto an operating table. "Just lie here and let him work." She let go of Sejuani to put her hood back up.

Sejuani sprang right up. "You're leaving me here, **alone**!"

Ashe set a hand on Sejuani's leg. "I have to. You remember that stuff about how I'm a princess? Well I have princess stuff I have to go do. You'll be alright. I'll come straight back here afterwards. You can tell me everything that happened, and if I don't like what I hear…" She turned to face Mr. Chandler. Her voice became regal yet again. "…I shall handle the punishment of Mr. Chandler **personally**."

A very loud, and yet not so manly as one would expect, gulping noise was made the instant she stopped talking.


	4. Exposing Truth

**Chapter 4: Exposing Truth**

_Present. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. The Royal Hall._

"You want to talk about hurting those who CARE FOR YOU!?" Sejuani's face went from shame to fury in less than a second. She reaches forward and grabs Ashe by her collar; Bristle tries to intervene, but Ashe gives him a light shove to let him know it's okay. "That's a riot coming from your icy lips you hypocritical bitch!"

Ashe didn't return anger with anger, but rather with grace as she brought her open palm under Sejuani's arm and set it on her cheek. "See?" She brushed her thumb just under Sejuani's eye. "You had to have seen it as it came out. It's there. It's inside of you. Those feelings-."

"ENOUGH!" Sejuani released Ashe to swat away her hand. She pulls up her flail, ready to lash out once more, but stops when she sees that Bristle has squared his shoulders against her. "AAAAGGGGHHHH!" She roars out in anger as she swings her flail out and around to strike the marble surface behind her. "AGH! AGH! AGH!" Over and over again the near-deafening slamming and shattering of the floor echoes throughout the hall.

Ashe and Bristle watch as a grown woman throws a temper tantrum in The Royal Court of Avarosa's Palace. When she had finally stopped, not from exhaustion, she was far too tough for that release of anger to tire her out; Ashe began again, "You're just so hurt. I see that. You don't have to try and prove it to me. Believe me, I understand."

Sejuani spun around and walked up to Ashe with heavy footfalls. "Fuck you. My anger comes from this silly game you're playing. I don't have something as weak and petty as 'hurt feelings' so fight me!"

Ashe shook her head. "I won't."

The tribal warrior scoffed, before brandishing a most devilish grin. "No wonder **she** said you needed me. I used to think you were strong, but you're not and you never were." Ashe showed she wasn't hurt, but Sejuani knew that it stung a little to hear her say it. "The truth is you're really just weak…just as weak as **she** was when-!"

Ashe brought her open palm up to Sejuani's face once more, except at an incredible speed, and struck her cheek hard enough to wake a dead man. "How dare you." Her tone was stern, yet solemn. "How dare you speak so ill of **her**."

_Twenty-three years ago. Freljord. Outside Avarosa's Palace. North Palace Sqaure._

It's one thing to be tardy, but it's a whole other thing to be tardy and not have a good excuse. As Ashe ran towards the palace she rattled her brain for a legitimate excuse for why she was late for training. She couldn't think of one. It just wasn't coming to her. Her mind was still fixated on whether or not it was a good idea to leave Sejuani in Mr. Chandler's hands, alone.

She made her way inside and past guards who hollered and hooted things like, "Ooooooo, she's gone let you have it this time!" Ignoring them she trotted on down the passageways that lead to The Royal Training Arena. An indoor/outdoor complex that had been connected to the palace around forty-three years ago. Its age was made clear by how the walls leading up to it were stacked with newer, smoother stone.

As Ashe entered the chamber she was assigned to be at that day she heard a hushed break in the air and dead-stopped in her tracks. Looking back at the last few seconds in her head, she realized that an arrow had just narrowly avoided cutting a horizontal line across her nose. Her head slowly and frightfully turned to look at the one who shot it.

There they stood, nearly six feet tall and built like a human tank, light-tank, with auburn hair and an amber-white face that showed years of aging without proper skin care. "Do I need to say it?"

Ashe shook her head. "No mam, if it was real, I'd be dead."

Her name was Doris Windtalk Behn; birth name 'Speaks From The Winds'. She was born a member of a tribe that had been conquered by the Royal Family. When her parents were slain, the king had no knowledge that she had just been born. Thankfully one of the soldiers who was there decided that the King would want to know of the child they had found in raiding the tribe. The King decided to have her raised by his oldest sister and she took Doris into her family as if she were her real daughter. Doris grew up to be the noble charged with being the current queen's Highguard. Highguard is a term that bestows the individual all rights to decide security matters for the one they are sworn to protect with and for their entire life. Not even generals can supersede her orders if it relates to the queen's security.

Ashe walked towards her as she said, "I'm sorry mam, I was…" Still, even now she couldn't think of an excuse.

"Excuses, excuses, that's all you ever give me." Doris' voice was slightly demeaning. "Try giving me straight answers."

Ashe looked up into Doris' steely hazel eyes and said, without thinking it through, "I was doing something that was far too important not to, and I don't regret that it made me tardy for your training session." Alarms were going off in her head of the impending danger about to befall her.

Doris grinned. "Finally you start acting like an adult. Good." Doris began to take off her training armor. "Now, strip down to your skivvies," Ashe looked bewildered. "And ditch them too." Now she was just aghast. "You heard me, now do it. That's an order!"

Reluctantly Ashe began to disrobe. The air in the training arena wasn't heated like the palace was, so the temperature quickly became bracing on Ashe's skin. Getting the last of her clothes into the pile she wrapped her arms around herself tight, fearing what the cold was doing to her. "Permission to speak freely, mam?"

"You may."

Ashe shuddered, and didn't stop; she was shivering. "W-w-why?"

Doris sighed. "Well, you got the basics down for fighting, but you haven't been conditioned for the cold. In a fight out amongst this cold, harsh, tundra-like climate that covers much of the Freljord, you will need to be able to continue fighting as your body tries to give up on you."

Ashe could already feel herself become numb. "H-h-h-how?

"By using proper techniques. Just like any fight." Doris took a fighting stance. Ashe watched as she began to move around an imaginary opponent. Dodging and parrying, as she took shots at it with tight fists. "Well, don't just stand there. You'll freeze to death and do your enemy's job for them."

Ashe jittering-ly took up the stance Doris had trained her in and put up her fists to start sparring with an imaginary opponent of her own. For a second her opponent had Sejuani's face, but she quickly replaced it with a faceless dummy. "I'm freezing to death!" She complained.

"That's because your extremities aren't getting proper blood flow. Look at me child."

Out of everyone who said that to her, Ashe despised hearing it the most from Doris. She hated being called child. In her mind she was smarter than most adults she had seen, especially the nobles.

Ashe let her frustration subside as she began to notice what else Doris was doing. She was constantly moving; not just her body, but every part of it. Toes, fingers, hands, feet, everything connected to her body was in a constant flux. As Ashe started to copy the subtle movements of her teacher, she began to get and keep more and more feeling in what was moving.

"Don't slow up your defense and attack. You have to keep a rhythm of keeping the blood flowing and keeping up the fight." Doris was really moving now; going through all the motions that she had been having Ashe train in.

Ashe began to hear Doris' words echo in her head. 'You have to practice any kind of attack you believe an enemy can give you. Remember, if you can do it, they can do it too.'

Ashe and Doris continued this practice for a whole hour. Ashe was able to stay warm, despite the chilling air that surrounded her naked body. If someone had walked in that room; besides taking in a sight in which they may have wrestled with feelings of delight and obviously disgust over, they also would have found the pair to be out of their minds.

Doris transitioned from her fake fight to walking over to a counter, seamlessly, and picked up an hourglass. "Okay child!" There it was again, Ashe's misery. "We're done for today. Go play or whatever."

Ashe grinned. As tough on her as she knew Doris was during training, she was so much sweeter to her the other twenty-three hours of the day. "Thanks Doris!" Ashe quickly got dressed.

Doris walked over and interrupted Ashe as she was about to get her cloak on again. She knelt down and stated, "I saw that look in your eye."

"What?" Ashe was thoroughly confused.

Doris grabbed a hold of Ashe's shoulders. "Don't lie to me, I say your face when you had to push out the real reason you were late. Who is **he**?"

Ashe's face contorted suddenly, in great fright. "N-n-no it's not-."

"I'll kill him if he's touched you. Tell me now child. I'll get it out of him if I have to."

"Doris, I-I swear! It wasn't a boy!"

"A **man**?! It was a grown man!? Ashe! Don't you dare tell me you've been spending time alone with a grown man!?" Doris' anger was pouring from out of her mouth in every syllable.

Ashe waved her arms out defensively. "Doris! It wasn't a man!"

Doris had her hands around Ashes face now, so she had nowhere else to look but straight ahead. "Tell me child!"

"I can't!"

"Tell me!" Doris gave her head a shake. She was acting like she was her real mother.

Ashe cringed and started to cry. "I can't! Not yet! She doesn't trust very well! I need more time!"

Doris released the frightened girl but kept her hands up as she paused there in utter shock. "**She**? You met a girl? Your own age?"

"Yes!" Ashe poured out with sad relief.

"Oh." Doris got back up. "Well." Ashe stared up at Doris who still looked a little surprised. "Then just let me know when I can meet her, okay? I need to make sure she's cleared." Then she strolled off, like she hadn't just been shaking a princess near-violently by her head.

Now Ashe was left in disbelief, but she shook her mind free and donned her robe. At a brisk pace she made her way back the way she came and out towards the North Palace Square. Sejuani was no doubt stitched up by now.

On the way Ashe pondered many things. If Sejuani might have just run off after getting her stitches; of which she feared the most. When would be a good time to tell Doris, or even her mother? Was this a true sign from Avarosa? How did Sejuani get that wound to begin with? Will they get to stay together? Will a noble be tasked by her mother to raise Sejuani, like Doris was raised? And most importantly of all; what are all of these weird…feelings?

As Ashe approached Mr. Chandler's shop she started to hear his voice; it was barking orders. Poking her head inside she began to hear him quite clearly, "No, no, over on the second to left shelf. What?! We have the same left! We're facing the same way. Oh, what you does that child see in you? Yes, there!"

Sejuani peered back to take notice of Ashe, but then continued to stock the shelves with products under the owner's orders. Ashe suspected that she probably had heard her coming a long ways off; but Ashe was perplexed as to why Sejuani would continue to stack the shelfs, knowing she had returned. So she queried that info, post haste. "Mr. Chandler?" Her tone was quite impressively mature and towering for a girl her age; so much so that it caught the man very off-guard.

"M-My Lady!?" Scary thoughts filled his imagination. "You're…you're back! Well, I hope your training was as beneficial as always." He put on the biggest smile he could force in his timid state.

Ashe strolled in, taking notice that Sejuani was **still** stacking the shelf. "What is this now?"

"T-This is…ah…um…this is just my simple fee for services rendered. We worked it out and as you can see," he pointed at Sejuani, "she had agreed to handle a few chores for me."

Ashe came up to Sejuani. "I think she has done enough. Wouldn't you agree Mr. Chandler?" As he gave a positive response Ashe focused in entirely on red marks she had just spotted on Sejuani's calves and arms. She grabbed Sejuani by the wrists. "WHAT IS THIS!?" She demanded.

"I kept fighting him." Sejuani finally spoke. "He had to tie me down or I would tear the wound deeper as he tried to stitch it." She said it almost like she had been ordered by someone to say it.

Ashe whipped her head in Chandler's direction in a crazed fury. "How dare you!" She bellowed with slowly seething rage. "Explain yourself!?"

The man was bent down so much, he was nearly on his knees. "I had no choice, milady. If she had hurt herself any more I believe you would have found that to be worse. No?"

Ashe reined in her anger and showed a calm face. "Well," in an instant she knew what to tell him to show she was beyond pissed off, "I will have to send Doris down here to get a full account of what had happened."

A loud thud of two knees hitting the ground at the same time preceded a man moaning in superficial, or perhaps quite literal, pain. "OH PLEASE MILADY?! I BEG YOU! PLEASE DON'T?! I WAS ONLY TRYING TO BEST SERVE YOU! PLEASE?!"

"If that's the case, then just explain that to **her**." She looked directly into his eyes. "I'm **sure** she'll understand."

Chandler knew he was screwed. He bolted up and went back into his office. When he came back out he was carrying a small bag with him. "H-Here milady! Take this! It has all the necessary medicine your beautiful, lovely, young friend needs to help that wound heal nicely. And please drop by anytime to have the stitches removed. That will be no trouble."

Ashe grabbed the bag. "I'm sure it won't be." She ushered Sejuani out of the shop. "Good day to you Mr. Chandler."

Nervously he replied, "Thank you milady! You bless me! Good day to you too!"

Once outside Ashe quickly led Sejuani away from the shop to a nearby alleyway. "Tell me what he did to you!?" She demanded.

"I told you already. And honestly it made sense, see?" She pointed at the stitched up wound. "He sealed it up like it was never there. You were right, this is way better than burning it closed. And that sal…salb…"

"Salve?" Ashe inquired.

"Yeah. That stuff. He put that on and it feels great." Sejuani, despite being strapped to a table like a mental patient, seemed quite pleased with the whole ordeal.

Ashe still wasn't. "Why were you doing work for him?"

"He said that, 'After the trouble you caused me, it's the least you could do,' so I did it."

"Well you didn't need to. I would have just paid him."

"Paid?" Sejuani was confused. "Like give him some food?"

Ashe pulled a gold coin out of her robe pocket. "No, with this." She handed it to Sejuani.

The tribal girl was in awe. A shiny yellowish-brown hue glistened in the sunlight off of the coin. She saw the image of Avarosa indented in the coin on one side and the Royal crest on the other. Both were new and spectacular to her. "Can I keep it?"

Ashe smiled playfully. "Yeah, for sure."

Suddenly Ashe remembered the other thing she wanted to talk with Sejuani about. "Hey?"

"Yeah?" Sejuani diverted her gaze from the coin to look up at Ashe.

"How is it that you came to receive that wound?"

_One hour later. Freljord. Outside Avarosa's Palace. Royal Grange._

"It was one of them?!" Ashe asked in astonishment. "They're practically harmless! Why would it have been them?!"

Sejuani looked puzzled, mostly because she didn't understand why Ashe couldn't see why they would have attacked her. "Don't you eat them?"

Ashe cocked her head to one side. "Well…yeah, but why would they…" It took her a moment, but it finally came to her. She got up in Sejuani's face and asked, "You tried to kill one of them for food, yes?"

Sejuani nodded.

Ashe sighed. "These are _s__tort villsvin_ and yes, if you don't handle them properly, they can attack you. I'm guessing you climbed right into the pen. Didn't you?"

Again, Sejuani nodded.

Ashe looked at the _s__tort villsvin_ all huddling in a corner, furthest from Sejuani. Another thought dawned on her. "Sejuani? They're…they aren't that deadly. They've been completely domesticated. How…didn't you kill one of them?"

Sejuani just stared at them, intently.

Ashe took notice of a little _s__tort villsvin_ that was trying to break free of his elders; one who didn't seem scared. She looked back at Sejuani, the girl looked a little saddened. "You…"

Sejuani looked straight at Ashe.

"You couldn't…could you?"

Sejuani looked back at the little _s__tort villsvin_ who was almost free of its parents. Her lips began to tremble. "I'm…I wasn't weak. It, just, wouldn't have had that much meat for me! So I…"

Ashe grew a little grin and walked up to latch herself around Sejuani. "L-Let go of me. What are you doing?! LET GO!" Her body shuddered as Ashe clung on tight. "Let go…" She could feel it now. She had felt the same back when she was going to kill the young _s__tort villsvin_. It had caught her off guard. These feelings were the reason one of the elder _stort villsvin_ was able to gore her leg. She felt powerless and scared; but, but not now. The feelings had gripped her hard once more. Although this time they didn't give her fright, they gave her relief; and that scared her even more.

Ashe pulled away. Sejuani thought she wasn't ready to stop, but when she looked at Ashe her senses picked up on why she had pulled away. "Oh no." Ashe said. "I forgot what time it was. The guards are making their evening rounds. Hey?" Ashe looked at Sejuani. "Do you still have that thing I gave you?"

She was talking about the robe pin. Sejuani pulled it out from her collar. "Yeah."

"Okay. Head back to the barn house. I have to check in like I'm going to bed. I'll be back for you later, okay?"

Sejuani nodded. Her instincts were raging for her to just leave this place, but she didn't want to. As Ashe began to stroll casually towards the palace, she ran for the barn house. To her the building was less of a place and more of a goal. There, in the barn house, she knew she would be waiting to see Ashe again. Nothing else seemed to matter. Not that she was free to leave. Not that she could have used the gold piece she had gotten to get some great supplies for living out in the wild. Not that staying here could get her killed for trespassing. Only that Ashe, her 'friend' said she would be coming to see her later.

Nightfall came down as soon as Sejuani had reignited the coals from the fire of the night before. It was hours that she waited, but they felt so long as she glanced at the door so very often. Every few minutes she'd walk up to the windowsill and look out to see if Ashe was just coming now, but she wasn't. Sejuani was hungry, but didn't care. She was thirsty, but didn't care. She was tired; and **not** caring just brought on sleep that much faster.

Sejuani awoke to the sound of heavy footfalls. They couldn't have been Ashe, they had to be from someone larger. She debated whether she should prepare to jump them, or if she should just run out the back, or if she should trust in the robe pin that Ashe had given her. It was too late, the door swung open, she closed her eyes and held out the pin.

"It's just me." Sejuani heard Ashe's voice huff out. "I told you I'd come, and I brought a present!" Clutched in her arms was a few folds of cloth covering something that seemed to be…moving?

Ashe knelt down in front of where Sejuani was sitting and uncovered a small _s__tort villsvin_. "NO!" Sejuani hollered. "Ashe! I…I can't! Please!?" She brought her arms into herself and clutched her sides tight.

Ashe was momentarily stunned. "No, no, it not to eat." She let the cloths fall to the ground as the little _s__tort villsvin_ wiggled about in her hands. "It's for you. I brought him so you could see he's okay."

Sejuani looked at the creature. It seemed intent on reaching out to her with its tiny feet. She slowly unclutched an arm to reach out to the _s__tort villsvin_, and as she got close it licked her hand. She giggled and brought her other hand out to get a lick as well. It felt funny and soothing. She got her hands around the little guy and could feel his fluffy, young fur. He was giving her all these other newer feelings. She couldn't help but obsess over him as she cuddle his head.

Again distracted, Sejuani saw Ashe hold up a finger to her mouth. "Quiet." She whispered. "I think I heard someone outside.

The creature licked Sejuani on the face as they heard a low female voice say, "You did."

Leaning on one hand in the windowsill next to the door was Doris. Ashe froze. Sejuani followed suit, fearing anything Ashe, the princess around here, would fear.

"So?" Doris rested her arms on the sill. "Is this her?"

In a flash Ashe spun around and extended her arms at full wingspan. "Please Doris?! She didn't do anything wrong! I-I told her she could stay here! B-Blame me not-!"

"Relax child. I'm not blaming anyone." Ashe sighed a little. "But I am angry at you."

"Why?"

"You said she was important, but you let her stay out in this cold-ass barn! What's wrong with you?" Doris waved an arm towards herself. "Come on, let's get her inside where it's warm."

Sejuani saw Ashe shuddering. "T-Thanks." Ashe said through tears of relief. She had feared the worst, but that was thankfully over now.

Sejuani held up the small boar she had still been clutching. Doris smirked. "Yeah, bring him too. If we put him back in the pen we'd probably be having 'em for breakfast tomorrow." Her smile came out in full.


	5. Injustice And Justice

**Chapter 5: Injustice And Justice**

_Present. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. The Royal Hall._

A wide smile revealed the teeth of Sejuani's mouth. "Ahh, touched a nerve, have I?" Her tone was mocking and childish. "I see you're still upset over-."

Ashe gave her another volley to the face; this time harder. "D-Don't!"

Sejuani could see it now, the crack in her armor. "Is the little princess gonna cry?" She spoke through pouted lips. "Soooo sad."

Shaking her head, Ashe let out, "No, don't. Why? Why would you ever? Please don't?"

Sejuani held her grin firm. "Why?" Her mouth opened in vicious joy. "Why noOOMF!"

Without warning Sejuani was knocked to the floor, gasping for air. She could feel her chest reeling from pain. It was hard to think about anything besides forcing her next breath. She tossed and turned in agony on the floor until she felt herself being gripped hard by her arms and hoisted up to her feet.

In an instant she could feel herself start to breathe easier. She opened her eyes to see Ashe, holding her arms above her head for her. She was helping her breathe. The millisecond Sejuani's breathing had somewhat stabilized she tugged her arms free and shoved Ashe back as hard as she could, considering not yet having a solid stance on her own feet yet. "Unhand me!" She bellowed with a rasping voice.

Ashe stepped back with the push so Sejuani wouldn't fall backwards from her own force.

Sejuani bent forward slightly and clutched her chest with one hand while retrieving her flail with the other, which had been knocked free from her hand and had remained where she once stood moments earlier. "You!" Her voice was still coarse. "You attack me! Finally! Then try to help me!? You weak fool! You had your moment! I was on the ground, easy prey! You won't get that chance again!"

"I will have plenty of opportunities to kick-you-while-you're-down, if you continue to behave so cruelly." She motioned to her left, where Bristle stood there eyeing down Sejuani with a fierce gaze.

"BRISTLE!? WHY?!" Sejuani was at a loss for further words.

"NOFF!" Bristle let out.

Sejuani shook her head with a confused look on her face.

"NOFF-NOFF-OFF!"

"ME!?" Sejuani challenged.

"NOFF-OFF!"

"SHE'S YOU'RE FUCKING ENEMY! OUR FUCKING ENEMY! ATTACK HER!"

"NOFF-NOFF-OFF-NOFF-NOFF-OFF!"

"SO MUCH FUCKING SENTIMENTALITY FROM YOU FUCKERS ABOUT THAT BIT-!"

"NO!" Ashe cried out. "PLEASE?! Not from you! Least of all from you!"

"FUCK YOU BITCH!"

A tear beaded in Ashe's right eye, but she did not wipe it away, she didn't want to. "After everything she did for you! You could never have forgotten! I know that's the truth!" She reached a hand out for Sejuani with a pleading physical symbolism that detailed her desire perfectly for the angry warrior to just grasp it.

It just hung there, a branch of relief that was well within Sejuani's range to grab onto; but she just let it hang there as she stared down its length like the barrel of a gun, setting her aim on pulling the trigger to strike down the one she saw as 'the enemy' instead.

"NOFF-NOFF-NOFF-OFF-NOFF-NOFF-OFF-NOFF-OFF!" Bristle cut in with grunts to attract Sejuani's attention.

"Don't you start with that!" Sejuani retorted. "You weren't even there!"

"NOFF! NOFF-OFF! NOFF-OFF-NOFF-NOFF-NOFF-OFF-NOFF-OFF!

_Twenty-three years ago. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. Princess Ashe's Royal Bed Chamber._

"Look at you three squished in there like too many fixings in a sandwich! My dear, wouldn't you feel more comfortable in your own bed?" Gladys let out in a gentle huff.

Sejuani shook her head. Ashe answered for her. "No, we'll be fine."

Gladys tilted her head to one side. "And having the little beast in there with you. My goodness little one, you can't find its smell that pleasant!"

"Gladys? This bed is big enough for two grown nobles to spread out completely." Ashe gave a hint of an old joke about how nobles just lie around getting fatter and fatter day by day.

Gladys grinned at her humor. "Well, I guess it's okay for tonight. But a young girl like her can't stay in the palace forever. She isn't a noble don't ya know?"

Ashe shook her head. "As the heir to the throne, I have the power to make her a noble. And so she is."

Gladys bent over the bed to poke Ashe's nose with her finger. "You forget young one, only the ruler may have that power."

Ashe shooed her finger away. "Well then I will when I am Queen." She looked at Sejuani, who had elected not to say a word; mostly due to her confusion over how extraordinary Ashe's life must be in this grandiose home she has. "It will be my first official act. I promise." She smiled.

Sejuani smiled back to show thanks; but in reality she was overwhelmed at the thought of how she had just spent the last night hiding in a barn, and she was now in what was essentially the exact opposite of any 'home' she had had in the past. Of course to her, home was always a term defined as being temporary.

"Alright you two." Gladys chimed in. "You already got here late. Time to sleep."

Sejuani laid back pulling the sheet up. She made sure she was far enough to one side of the bed so she wouldn't be of any trouble to Ashe. Her humble gesture was in vain, because the princess scooted up right next to her and closed her eyes for sleep to come and take her away. 'Why is she so close? She doesn't have to be. It's a huge bed, and I gave her plenty of space. Any further and I'd fall off the other side. And she's so warm. How? We were just outside in the cold. My skin is still cool, but she's so warm. Why does she have to be so close?' This train of thought carried Sejuani into a worrisome slumber; confused on why the proverbial joke all of this had to be hadn't delivered its punchline yet.

As the night trailed onward, and Sejuani began to dream of what could be coming next; Ashe found her opportunity to get up-to-no-good. She had feigned slumber to let Sejuani fall asleep so she could do what she had wanted to. Her eyes came open to see Sejuani snoozing away. She considered waking her, in hopes of talking with her some more; but decided it could wait for morning, and the poor girl seems so peaceful and beautiful in Ashe's eyes just sleeping there.

She got out of bed slowly and decided not to bother with clothing but instead select a robe so she could move around freely in the palace. Creeping out the door she looked back to make sure Sejuani was still sleeping, she was, and then started herself down the hall to her mother's room.

Ashe started planning it all out in her head. She'd say hello to mother. Claim she couldn't sleep. Then her mother would ask about Sejuani. This would allow her to bring that topic up, via her mom. Then she would convince her mother to let her stay. She'd make a scene that there wasn't anyone her own age she could really get along with. It will be so perfect. Sejuani will be allowed to stay forever.

Ashe had always taken notice of the walls that led to the Royal bed chamber. Mostly because she knew it would someday be hers, and her mother would be where her grandmother and slept before…well that explains itself. The old stone, built so very, very long ago; still looked so pristine. There were staff members tasked with the upkeep of the walls, most especially those around Royal areas.

Before knocking on the door, she noticed it was slightly open. It was usually. Ashe never got the full story about why, or why it was never fixed, but her mother had let it slip one time that it was 'Doris' fault' and that was all she knew. Peeking in, she saw her mother standing in front of her bedside mirror undoing her hair. She was talking somewhat loudly.

"I'm not worried about **where** she came from." Her mother stated.

Doris' voice was unmistakable. "Then what?"

"You told me she's been taking care of the girl, and that she found her in the barn. **That barn**."

"Well…yes, that one. Huh. I had forgotten about that."

"How? That's where we first met."

"I know, I-."

"Of course you know! You were just trying to play dumb! You thought I wouldn't notice!"

"Now look. I do admit that it is a little suspicious."

"Suspicious!? You think it's suspicious?! Have you asked her how she found the girl there? Did she say it was a dream?!"

"I didn't ask."

"Because you didn't want her to feel pressured about it. Because you knew I would ask. Because you wanted to have a talk, similar to this one, about not asking her."

"Okay, just because you had a dream about following Avarosa to that barn to find me, doesn't mean she had the same-."

"Yes it does! You idiot!"

"I was only trying-."

"To what?!" Ashe's mother spun around to face Doris. "Ruin my daughter's life? Curse her the same as I am?"

Doris' moment of silence changed the queen's expression greatly. "You think it's a curse?"

The queen rushed forward to her bed, out of Ashe's field of view, so Ashe got a finger in to open the door a little more. Then she saw Doris; she had no clothes on. Her mother had her in an embrace, with one hand on her chin. Their faces were close, so close.

"I don't feel cursed to be this way with you. But I am cursed to never enjoy it outside this room. I just don't want my daughter to be as miserable as me. And both of them are young and innocent. They have done nothing to deserve a life of misery like ours."

Ashe clutched her chest. She could hear and feel her heart racing. A whole new reality had just crashed down upon her head. She tried to deny it. She had always known her mother and father to be in love. She thought back to the many times she saw them kiss. She thought way back. **Far** back. Nothing. They had never kissed. They had smiled at her together, but they never even held each other. She couldn't remember one thing besides their love for her that connected them. She was scared. She didn't know what this meant. They kissed; she ran.

Upon reaching her room, at a hurried and heavy pace, she started to hear a laughter coming from it. She walked in, mind shaken, face blank. Sejuani was sitting up on the bed and playing with the little boar.

"Oh, Ashe." Sejuani looked up to notice her, then back down to the boar. "I woke up and you were gone. Well, actually this guy woke me and I noticed you had gone. He was trying to get out of your room. I stopped him. But sitting here I had time to think of what to call this guy. Since his hair is so short I was thinking Bristle. What do you think of-." As Sejuani looked from Ashe's recently arriving feet to her face she noticed her pale-blank expression. "Ashe?"

Ashe just stared at her for the longest time. Then she moved onto the bed and got up real close. She reached a hand up to grasp Sejuani's chin. Sejuani could feel the weird thoughts return; warning her, inviting her, paralyzing her. Eyes locked into one another Ashe closed the gap to let their lips impact together; but something in Sejuani reeled her away at the very last instant and sent her into a backwards summersault off the opposite side of the bed and onto the floor in a heap of wailing limbs. She managed to righten herself with one hand, but found the other clutching her chest, hard.

"ASHE!?"

Ashe was clutching her own chest with both hands. Her expression looked pleading. "That feels good, right? That horrible throbbing. Isn't it good?" She asked it like she needed someone else to tell her it was the truth. Like it had to be. As if otherwise how could anything else ever make sense again?

"No." As the word had come out, Sejuani could feel something that made her believe she had been dishonest. She knew it felt terrifying and unsettling, but at the same time she knew that saying 'it didn't feel good' was a lie. It made no sense to her. It was like there was some portion of her being that made perfect sense out of this, but it couldn't express itself in a way that she could understand.

Letting her arms drop, Ashe acted as if there was nothing more to discuss. "Bristle sounds like a good name." She smiled and then crawled back into the sheets to return, or better yet begin, to sleep.

Sejuani lay down to sleep too, but on the floor where she had been sitting. She turned away from the bed, mind racing. She was reliving the past moments of what had happened over and over again in her head. Another feeling began to grip her, she had had it before when that young, pretty girl had died beside her. She could always remember herself wondering if she could've, should've done something to help her, instead of lying there scared. The feeling was similar. She could feel it now but not define it. Regret.

A warm blanket surrounded her and Sejuani spun around to see Ashe holding a pillow in one hand, and gripping the blanket with the other. "Ashe! No!"

"It's okay! I'm so sorry!" Ashe stuffed the pillow under Sejuani's head and tucked herself in close to grab one of her arms with both hands. "Please, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have done that. I had no right. Please, don't leave me? Please?" She set her forehead on Sejuani's.

Sejuani could feel her soft skin, her warm body, her personal scent; everything her senses had missed having the joy of experiencing. 'She's given me so much. I should have given her anything she wanted.' The thought felt like torment, not just because it sounded so weak, but because she believed it was true.

"You owe me nothing." Ashe's eyes did not open, as Sejuani's did. "You took nothing from me. I gave it all. And I tried to take something from you. You owe me nothing. So I beg you to please, just stay?"

From regret to relief, Sejuani fell into a comfortable bliss. Looking towards her feet she noticed that Bristle had found his way up to rest between them. Smiling, she reached her opposite hand over and set it on Ashe's grip of her arm. Even the back of her hands felt soft. "I'll stay."

Luckily for the two of them, they were so young. If an adult had spent the whole night sleeping on a stone floor, their morning would have been a call to crawl onto something soft and fall back asleep.

As the morning sun poured into Ashe's room, Sejuani awoke to Bristle licking her face. "He, what is it?" She asked playfully.

Bristle just stared at her for a moment, then got off of the blanket and strolled around the room. This seemed peculiar to Sejuani. She couldn't reason what he wanted. In the same moment she put her hand down on the space of blanket where Bristle had been, Ashe woke up with, "What is that awful smell?!" For Ashe it was her sense of smell. Sejuani notice with her sense of touch. She looked at where her hand was. It was taking her some time to register what she felt; if it was really what it felt like. It was. It was a wet feeling.

Ashe rolled over and up to see Sejuani's hand on the wet spot. She looked up at her. "Uh…"

"It was Bristle!" Sejuani exclaimed.

Ashe put up a hand. "It's okay."

"No! It really was Bristle!"

"Sej, it's fine, really."

"I'm telling you the truth!"

"I…I believe you." Ashe's response wavered.

Sejuani did a face-palm in embarrassment and frustration, with her wet hand. "Ahh!" She began trying to wipe her face clean with her other hand.

Ashe stood up. "Don't worry, we'll just burn it so no one will ever know. Okay?"

Sejuani looked pleading. "Really, it was Bristle."

Ashe looked over at Bristle, who was still going. She looked back at Sejuani. "Just more stuff to burn." She put on a playful smile.

In a rush, Gladys barged her way in like a siege machine. "Goodness gracious! That rancid odor!" She looked down at Bristle. "I knew it! I knew it and did nothing about it! That thing was going to use this whole place as a privy. Hasn't even been 'live long enough to know to use the corner like its elders!" She walked over and scooped him up. Ashe and Sejuani dove forward to try and stop her.

"No, don't!" Ashe cried out. "We want him to stay!"

"That's all well and good child. But first we need to have him house broken." Gladys made her way out. "I won't send him away, but he's jus' a wee babe, he needs to be cleaned up!"

The girls looked at each other. "Couldn't hurt." Sejuani stated.

Feeling satisfied, Ashe led Sejuani downstairs to the Royal Dining Room where breakfast was prepared for the two of them. Her mother was there. A middle-aged woman. She had skin almost as light as Ashe's and eyes of hazel. Her hair was long and darkly auburn. A chin that seemed pointed at the end. Blue was her dress, with gold trimming on the collar, sleeve ends, and bottom that had been made in the shape of tree vines weaving in and out of one another. Her posture and table manners were obviously indoctrinated into her at a young age, because she seemed quite perfect, sitting in her tall oak chair. Her plate looked half-touched and she was just finished the five small chews she would allow herself to use on every bite before swallowing her food.

The two girls took their seats at the opposite side of the table, Sejuani on Ashe's right.

As Ashe greeted her mother with a good morning and began to eat, Sejuani followed suit. "Hello…um…your queen."

Ashe's mother just glared at the girl. Her gaze was as if she was trying to send Sejuani away. When she finally spoke, it spooked Sejuani a little. "Hello dear, my name is Astraea. What is yours?"

"Sejuani, your queen."

"Mam suits me just fine." She stood up. "If you two will excuse me, I have to begin my day." Without another word she left.

"Don't worry. She's overprotective." Ashe explained through a half-full mouth. "You'll get used to it, and she'll get used to you. You'll see." Ashe seemed almost nonchalant about what had just happened. Either that or she didn't take full notice of the disrespectful way her mouth had glared at Sejuani.

Sejuani was not as confident. She could remember similar looks from people who wanted her out of their tent so they could 'do stuff' together. Two men, a man and woman, two women; it mattered not. They always looked at her as if to say, 'We don't care if you freeze to death out there.' And once she had left they would make their strange noises all throughout the night.

Sejuani could always remember the times they wouldn't force her out, for lack of caring whether she was there or not. Some would force the other into kissing, and some would do it as if it were a meal they found exceptionally delicious. Only now though, she remembered the kiss she was almost forced into by Ashe. She didn't know, and somewhat didn't want to know, how she should feel about it.

As Sejuani finally began eating the meal before her, which was the largest she had ever seen, Gladys came into the room. "Eat quickly now young one." Her focus was on Sejuani. "We need to get you real clothes."

It had always been an awkward thought in the back of her mind, but now it was out in the open. She was wearing a sack with head and arm holes while everyone else had clothing that covered most of their bodies.

"Put her in mine for-."

"DON'T TALK WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL!" Gladys bellowed.

"It wasn't! I only had a little left!"

"You need to start leanring all your proper manners, and get them to stick. Ugh!" She turned to Sejuani. "Very well, you seem to be her size anyways. Follow me if you've had enough."

Sejuani looked at the food before her. She thought of the meat Ashe had brought her on that first night they met. She looked up at Gladys and said, in-line with her understanding, "How often do you all eat?"

Gladys and Ashe made faces so similar it seemed as if that was either the only face one could make for such a question or they had planned it out beforehand; the former seemed more fitting. "We each have breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper." Gladys finally explained.

Now Sejuani had the face of confusion the other two shared. "Brek…lun-…dinner?"

Gladys walked up to Sejuani and asked, "Tell me, how often **do** you eat?"

Sejuani just stared down at the floor.

Gladys realized that all this food would be too much too fast. Ashe was unable to comprehend what was happening. "I see child. Well, we'll see if you get hungrier later on today. Come now."

Sejuani got up and followed Gladys out of the dining room and back towards Ashe's room.

As if they had been behind the door waiting, as soon as Sejuani and Gladys had left, Ashe's mother and Doris strode into the room and sat down on either side of Ashe.

Astraea spoke first. "Ashe dear, we need to talk." Doris nodded her head.

All of this Ashe couldn't see. She was fixated on her plate, having just remembered what she had witnessed last night. Her breathing started up again the second she realized that it was being held. Looking at either of them would have been too much.

"It's about that girl. Sejuani? Is that her name?" Astraea began. "We need to know how you came across her."

Ashe couldn't answer. All she could think about was that kiss.

Astraea looked at Doris, who was giving her an 'I don't know what to say' kind of look. "Perhaps we would be better off without you here, Doris."

Doris' face turned sour. "As you command." She got up, bowed, and left them.

"Ashe, we just need to know for your safety if-."

Ashe made a sharp inhaling noise and brought a hand to her mouth.

"Sweetie?! What's wrong?"

"No." Ashe replied, more so to a thought she had about the realism of last night.

"Ashe we just-."

Ashe threw her gaze at her mother. "How did it feel?"

Astraea looked perplexed. "How did what feel?"

Ashe patted her lips. "Doris."

Terror enthralled Astraea's face. "Ashe, what are you talking about?"

"Mother, I saw you. I-I came to your room to ask you about letting…I saw you and Doris! The dream!"

Astraea grabbed a firm hold of her daughter's arms. "Ashe, did you have a strange dream?!"

Ashe said nothing and gave no signs she would.

"ASHE!? ANSWER ME!"

"No mother." She shook her head. "I won't let you send her away. We're happy."

Shaking Ashe, her mother exclaimed, "You must tell me if you had a weird dream…about a guiding light?!"

"I won't." Ashe began to cry.

A hard slap followed her reply. "Tell me!"

The sobbing girl refused to back down in her fight. "No." Her crying became steady and it seemed that even if she decided to confess the truth, she wouldn't be able to get a coherent word out anyways.

Astraea closed her eyes, cursing herself. She pulled Ashe in for a hug, to console her; but Ashe pushed away and got up, running for the door. Her mother didn't give chase, she just wallowed there in the misery of what may become of her daughter's future, and what she had just done to her innocent daughter to get the answer to a near-pointless question that she already knew the answer to.

Back in Ashe's room Sejuani was fighting Gladys over a, weird to her, article of clothing known as 'the under wears' and whether they were necessary. "Dear child, hold still!"

"It feels weird and tight! I couldn't run in these things!"

"Well it's a good thing you don't have to hunt down your prey anymore! You can just go track down the fat, slow chef for a meal!"

Despite her small stature, Sejuani put up quite a fight before Gladys finally got most of her new clothes on. "There! Except for you hair, you look like the spitting image of the little princess.

Sejuani felt constrained and uncomfortable in the garb she had on. 'How can that idiot walk in these things?' was the thought she was working out in her head.

The Ashe pseudo-doppelganger picked up on her presence before Doris got the door open. "Hello you two. Gladys? I hope everything is going well."

"If she doesn't rip those clothes off by accident, everything will be. She moves like an animal, er worse."

Doris glanced at the girl, who was fixated on anything that was on the floor. "I was wondering if I could have a moment to speak with Sejuani, alone."

Gladys made a huffing relief sound. "Be my guest. Don't let her take dem garments off."

"I'll do my best to convince her." Doris retorted, somewhat humorously.

It got a rise out of Sejuani who looked up to see Doris' face. She could see such a pristine gentleness glowing from Doris, despite her being dressed in armor and strapped with a sword. The girl was taken aback by this beautiful goddess of a warrior.

"Hello young lady. I wanted to talk with you. Have a seat." Doris sat on Ashe's bed and patted on a spot for Sejuani to sit down on. As Sejuani did so, somewhat reluctantly, she was met with comfort from Bristle taking up residence on her lap. He looked well groomed, for a boar. "Now, all I want-."

"The queen wants me to go." Sejuani cut it with sorrow.

Doris inhaled and sighed. "Well, no sense being so indirect. Yes. But not so much gone, just more explained. And then possibly gone."

Sejuani looked up into Doris' eyes. "Why is she so nice to me?"

Doris gave that some thought. "Right, and why is her mother so mean?" Sejuani nodded. "Ashe has…nobody. No one her own age. And the ones who are, show no interest in her. Sure they play with her by their parents' orders, but they don't really care. She's just hoping she's found someone who cares about her, for her. Do you?"

"I don't know if…I don't want her to get hurt."

"Too much at once huh? Yeah she's like that. Shower them with kindness, and they will return it is how she thinks about it." Doris set a hand on the girls shoulder. "That's something for you to decide. But what her mother and I need, is to know how you came to get here."

Sejuani began petting Bristle a lot as she laid everything out for Doris to see. "I stayed in a tent for many, many moons. This girl there brought me in. Told her father she wanted a friend, and her father said 'Okay, but her food will come out of your share.' She taught me a lot of stuff about how to survive. She was always pushing me to learn it all. She said one day, any day, I could be kicked out, and I had to be able to survive." Sejuani cringed.

Doris could sense that the girl was bringing up bad memories and got her arm around her to the opposite shoulder. "Go on."

Sejuani could hear strange voices in her head, screaming at her. Some blaming her. Some mocking her. Some saying cruel things that made her hate herself. "One night. No. Her father always…touched her. They always did stuff at night. He would hurt her. She'd bleed." Sejuani brought a hand to her mouth while the other gripped Bristle's fur hard, he must have been aware of her pain because it bothered him little.

Doris pulled her in tight. "Dear, I get it. You don't have to say anymore. I understand."

"One night. He hurt her too much. He fell right asleep. AND SHE WOULDN'T STOP BLEEDING!" Sejuani's tears flowed like a faucet.

Doris got both arms around the girl. "No, no child. It's okay. I promise you can stop now."

Through her sobs, Sejuani continued, "She held me close! Told me not to be scared! And then she got scared! She wanted me to hold her! I told her I was holding her, but she said she couldn't feel it! She told me she was afraid! THERE WAS SO MUCH BLOOD! HER FATHER WOULDN'T WAKE UP! HE DID NOTHING! I DID NOTHING! SHE…SHE…SHE…!"

Rocking the girl back and forth in her arms, Doris did her best to get her to stop. "Enough! You did nothing wrong! It wasn't your fault!"

"SHE DIED!" Sejuani's voice echoed in the halls. Right past and back around to ears of Ashe standing outside her room. She put a hand on the door. She wanted to go in, but couldn't bring herself to open it up. All she could do was stand there frozen like ice had filled her veins.

Continuing to comfort her, Doris exclaimed, "You don't have to relive it dear! You've been through enough!"

Sejuani's breathing quickened. She started to make angry and frightened grunting sounds. "Me. In the morning he told me I'd be handling her duties from now on. Cleaning, cooking-."

Doris let her slide out of her hold to grab her by the shoulders. "HE DIDN'T!?"

"No. He said I was too young to please him." Sejuani inhaled sharply, catching her breath and recovering from her tears. "The night of the last half moon, he said I was old enough. He said I owed him." In that moment she remembered what Ashe had done last night, or tried to do. 'She's the same as that old man!' "NO!" Grabbing at both sides of her head she reeled back in agony. The voices continued pestering her, but she wanted them to stop so desperately. Doris was stunned. "SHUT UP!" 'You owe her what she wants from you, just like that old man. You're so weak. You have to give them what they want, or you'll die alone.' "NOOOO! STOP!"

Doris grabbed her by the head, over her hands. "Look at me child!"

Sejuani was so frightened by Doris' gaze. She didn't dare look away.

With solid demeanor, the Highguard stated very clearly, "Take…me…to…this…man."

She wasn't sure if it was trust, or fear, but she nodded her head.

That moment was the last thing Ashe could stand. She barged into her room. "Sej! Doris! What…what is going on?!"

Doris gave the princess a powerful glare. "You were listening, weren't you?"

Ashe nodded in terror. She looked at Sejuani, whose face was full of hurt. "Sej?" She moved up to her. "What did the man want from you?"

In a cool decisive manner, Doris gripped Ashe by the collar and whip-slapped her with the back of her hand.

Ashe shrieked and fell to the floor in pain.

Doris moved in to grab the princess, but Sejuani dove in the way. Arms up, she pleaded, "She doesn't know! You know she doesn't! DON'T!"

Seeing that the hurt party was the one asking for it, Doris let her call the shots here. "Look at me Ashe." Ashe did so with a saddened look. "That man wanted to use her body to please himself. Do you understand what that means young-." Doris stopped as an unbelievable sight unfolded before her.

Ashe didn't cry out about her pain. She didn't reel back trying to act feeble from Doris' discipline. She threw herself on Sejuani and said something almost horrifying. "I'm so sorry I tried to use you! Please forgive me?!"

Sejuani didn't react to this girl latched to her back. Doris looked to the bed, and the floor by the window. Something important dawned on her, making her a little happy, but not enough to forget what she was about to go do. "Sejuani!" The poor girl looked up at her. "Take me to him! Ashe?" The princess looked up from Sejuani's back. "You will remain here!"

"But I-!"

"You will do as I say!" In a flurry Doris grabbed Sejuani by the arm and led her out of the room. They made their way out to a stable where Doris' horse was kept and took off to the north of the palace grounds. "Tell me child! Tell me where this man is!"

Left on the floor, reeling from the pain of having her teacher, her idol, her second mother of sorts strike her so hard; Ashe began to force herself out of the state of shock she was in. She could feel the emotional pain intensify as the reality of what had just happened became more absolute, and she wanted nothing to do with having any memory over a betrayal of this magnitude. 'She struck me. She actually hit me. She's never hit me.'

Pushing through both pains, she found herself worrying about where the two of them had gone. And that look. Doris' face. She had to remember, despite previously praying not to, that serious and madding, zealous face she had on. It must not have registered at the time because of what was happening; which Ashe still wasn't sure about. That face, it frightened her. She had no choice; at least as she saw it. She had to follow them.

When she got to her feet she heard a low, but steady whimpering. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Bristle, cowering atop the spot on the floor where the blankets still lay from last night. She went over to reach for him, and his sounds lessened. "It's okay Bristle, just stay put." She exclaimed. "Somethings not right, I need to help Sej. I might have to…" She couldn't say it, not to Bristle or alone. The thought of treating Doris as a monster was too much for her to bear. She essentially put a pin in that note, grabbed a parka, and headed out of the palace.

Once she reached the stable where her gift pony was kept, she struggled to remember where the saddle for it was, or even how to prepare it. She felt so useless. More reality sank in when she started to understand how isolated her life was, even though she didn't have a mature grasp on what that actually entailed yet. Once the saddle was located she brought it to her pony. A pure-white pony, bred from a line where the animal won't get very large. A considerable waste of money on the Kings part considering how quickly humans grow.

Equipping the pony was no small task. Especially with her lack of expertise. She had to go grab the stable master, and put on a convincing face, to do it for her. She claimed she just wanted to parade around the grounds for a few hours. Ashe knew full well if he was found out, he would most assuredly get fired. She hoped she'd be able to keep him from that fate.

As soon as the stable master told her she was good she kicked the pony in ribs with both heels and led it off across the grounds. Luck or fate or whatever, had lain a fresh, thin layer of snow on the palace grounds. Ashe could clearly see the new tracks made by Doris' full-sized steed. As soon as she was away from the grounds only one set of tracks remained and those she knew would take her to Sejuani.

If Ashe had paid any attention to her surroundings, instead of focusing on the trail Doris had blazed, she would have noticed that she had never been so far from the palace before. Kilometer upon kilometer of ground was trampled over by her pony. It was a good thing she had a clear path. For being this far out, and having no idea where she was, would have caused her to starve to death, or worse.

After about three hours of riding she came across weird sticks, poking out of the ground, with human skulls on them. A chill ran down her spine, but she pushed forward. Out of nowhere the tracks she had been following vanished into a sea of other imprints that covered too much area and went off in too many directions for her to know which were from Doris' horse. She began to feel panic grip her like a hand around the throat. Ashe closed her eyes and began to pray, 'Please tell me where they are. I know something bad is going to happen.' Many people of her kingdom would pray to Avarosa quite often, but Ashe could never remember doing so herself. She wondered how to, or if she was doing it wrong.

It wasn't really a noise, but more of a pressure upon the senses of her ears. She looked up and to her left to see a shimmering light. Something was either reflecting the sun's light or causing this shine; either way she decided to follow it. In no time she was taken to a clearing where many tent huts were. Nearby one large one she could see them; Sejuani and Doris, off the horse.

Coming closer she took notice that Doris was standing in front of the much larger tent hut. She was barking something in anger. Ashe got off her pony and ran up to Sejuani. "What are you doing here?"

Sejuani turned around in complete fright. "No…NO! ASHE YOU CAN'T BE HERE!" She grabbed a hold of Ashe and looked right to left like a worrying mother bird guarding her nest. "Ashe! This place…you can't be here! You have to run!"

The young princess grabbed the loose cloth at Sejuani's waist with both hands. "I'm not leaving you. I'll never leave you. Come with me. Something bad is going to happen, I just know it!"

The pair looked over at Doris when they heard a deep agitated voice yell out, "You noisy little bitch! Da' Fuck you want?!"

"I demand you come out to face me!" Doris retorted. Her upsetting roars had stirred others out of their tents as well. She turned to look at Sejuani. "Him?!" Her finger pointed at the belligerent man coming out of the large tent.

Sejuani gave a subtle nod.

Doris turned to him and drew her sword. "Prepare to die!" She challenged.

The man force his unfocused eyes to open and adjust to the light as he replied, "You stupid cunt! I'll tear you apart!"

Others came forward, but he motioned them away. From behind his back he pulled out a large dagger. Doris was unamused. "Don't you wish to use something larger?"

He grinned. "After I stop you from wiggling, I want you to have enough left over to fuck!"

Everyone there could hear the tightening leather on leather noise that Doris made on her sword's grip. "You two!" Obviously she was talking to Ashe and Sejuani. "Witness what a real fight is like. Never forget what actual combat is."

In an instant she charged at the man and brought her sword across from right to left in a powerful, but half-way swing. She didn't want to leave an opening for that man's reach to get in quick with the dagger. But he had come anyways trying for a gap she hadn't made. Letting this mistake go, she began to assume he was either an overly aggressive fighter, or he was just figuring her out as well. Doris positioned herself defensively and shifted around him. He set the center of their fight as he shifted around as well. They moved counter-clockwise together, she wanted him to strike first this time so she could gage his critical thinking. After some waiting, he set his sights on lunging through her general range and slashing at her horizontally inside of her proximity where she couldn't strike. Doris decided to take the force of the blow on her sword's fuller, with one hand on her sword holding it down from over her head. It was a weak strike, surely meant to test her reflexes. But she used it as an opportunity to land her other hand as a fist on his head, crushing his nose. At such close range she couldn't give a full punch, but staggering back his senses were rattled enough to give her a shot at whipping her sword around and cutting at his stomach with the point. A superficial wound, but painful nonetheless. Reeling quickly in pain he spun the dagger around in his hand so the blade face down. He would not give her a window like that again, but she felt she wouldn't need that kind of gap anymore.

The girls looked on in awe of what had already transpired in less than thirty seconds. The pace to a fight seemed so quick to Ashe compared to the training she had gotten. From said training she could recall that this should be the point in which one of the two or more involved in a fight should have a clear idea of what they need to do in order to win. She wondered how cruel it must be to be on a battlefield, surrounded by enemies and allies, each fighting the same small battles as you, over and over again; knowing if you lost one time, you'd die.

Doris charged at full strength with her sword pointed straight forward. The man brought his dagger across him to parry the sword's aim and Doris just fell into his opening to bring their shoulders together. Before they collided, though, she had brought the blade out between them. Her actions now seemed intentional of him parrying the bait. She moved her hands around the grip to hold the blade down, and as she stepped back, drove the point into the man's exposed crotch, deep. Pulling out and quick-stepping back she let him cringe on his wound in pain. He let his weapon drop to the ground and clutched at his groin with both hands, howling. Doris showed no mercy as she came at him and swung her sword horizontally to slice through one cheek of his head and out the other. The angle was slightly from up to down so teeth trailed her sword out of the opposite side of his face. His whimpering roar began to come out from beneath the gurgling of blood that filled his mouth. He fell onto his back, moaning of his agony. Doris got over him and brought her sword's blade down into is stomach quick and shallow. Her first strike was followed by many others and on the fourth one his life ceased entirely. But she continued, on and on she chopped at him, moving up and down his body. She was screaming out on each strike in a mad tone.

Ashe began to cringe a little as she watched one person chop another person up like meat. She looked over at Sejuani. A horrific sight gripped her. Sejuani was beginning to smile. This was it. This was the bad thing she knew she feared, but didn't know, would happen. With all her strength she ripped Sejuani away from the scene and forced her on her white pony.

As Ashe got up on the pony, Sejuani pleaded, "What are you doing?! You don't understand-!"

"NO! You don't understand! This is bad! Sej!" Ashe gripped the girl's face with one hand. "This is so bad!"

Sejuani didn't know what to do. Doris had just done what she had wanted to do. But Ashe said it was bad. She was just plain confused, so she just nodded.

Ashe kicked the pony and they began to ride off, away from the scene.

Driving down her final strike Doris exclaimed, "Damn that girl!" She knew full well Ashe would follow, so she wasn't surprised when the girl showed up. In fact Doris was somewhat pleased to know that Ashe was strong enough to follow her heart. But she had forgotten all that in the heat combat against such a dishonorable man. She wanted him to be nothing so bad she let herself go killing him. She looked up to notice no one was avenging him. Probably wasn't too well liked by his peers. She mounted up and followed the girls.

The trip back felt longer for Ashe than coming out there. Sejuani said nothing during the entire ride. She just pondered and weighed the good and the 'bad' that had just transpired. The pony was being pushed to its limit by Ashe, and upon nearing the palace grounds, it collapsed in a flash, sending the girls tumbling forward over the front of it and onto the ground in an ungraceful heap.

Head in the snow, Ashe could still here the sounds of hoofs running. It took her a second to realize that it wasn't her half-dead pony. Her pure white pony lay on the ground wheezing from the pain of a visually obvious shattered leg. The sounds came from Doris' steed riding up to stop before them. "So, did you learn anything?" Came her teacher's voice.

Ashe got up and scrambled over to shield Sejuani from something she felt was coming to get her. "I…I learned…that you're a monster!"

Doris sighed and dismounted her steed. "Yes, I am a monster. All those who kill can be considered monsters. But I have sought justice for those who were so horribly wronged." She nods up to Sejuani.

Ashe turns around to look at her. She gave a look like she agrees. "No! Sej! What she did! Look at her!" Ashe points at Doris.

In this moment, and only after she makes note of it, does both Sejuani and Doris realize that the woman is soaked in blood. Doris is a little taken back by this realization. She starts to feel a little scared. Even she hadn't noticed how bloody her armor was. She dreaded the thought that she wouldn't have been able to come back to the reality of what she had done if Ashe hadn't been here to point it out. She did serve justice to Sejuani, and the girl she knew, but she also went berserk on the corpse of a human being who's sentence upon had already been carried out.

"Is that what I have to do one day?!" Ashe cried out. "Do I have to kill people too?! Is that why you are training me?! To kill!?"

Doris shook her head, then again to confirm she was shaking it on purpose. "No, no, young one. You're training is self-defense."

Ashe curled inwards like she had just been stabbed. "I'm gona have to kill someone, aren't I?! Please?! I don't want to kill anyone! Please?!"

Soothing, but rough and warm, hands grasped Ashe and pulled her in close to a body that was still, compared to her **trembling** mass. She looked up to see that she was cradled in the relief giving arms of the girl she had spent the last half of the week caring for. "Ashe." Sejuani's words should have been horrifying, but they seemed almost endearing to Ashe despite the onslaught of emotions she lashed out against Doris' version of justice. "I'll kill for you, **friend**."

Doris stood in the background, witnessing what was unfolding before her. She almost couldn't believe how Ashe had went from dreading the thought of delivering death upon others to accepting Sejuani's promise. Like it was meant to be, but Doris never gave too much stock to destiny. She knew her decisions were her own; that they always would be. Joy came into her heart, she remembered a similar time when such joy had crept into her. Thoughts of a special moment in her life when Astraea had said the most important sentence she would ever have hoped to hear. Nostalgia mounted her like she was a horse, as she watched these two become tranced in one another's eyes. Her anger for the demon of a man was a distant memory, not bound by the short lapse of time from which she had just been loathing him.

Gripping each girl with one hand, she effortlessly hefted each of them onto her steed. "You two head back, my horse knows the way."

Ashe looked down at the still bloody warrior. "Doris, I'm sorry, I-."

Doris put up a hand. "Needn't worry. You did fine. I thank you for making me see what I've done." She smiled. Focusing on Sejuani she asked, "By the way, how did you come here in the first place?"

Sejuani took a moment to answer, like she had to make it sound within reason. "There was this glimmer. Always in the distance. Everytime I thought I was reaching it, it kept getting further and further away. Then it shined in the barn window where you found us, and I didn't see it anymore. So I decided to just sleep there."

Doris was unfazed, but Ashe was stunned. "Same." She said.

"What?" Sejuani asked.

Ashe curled into Sejuani. "I saw a light too." Almost ignoring the similarity she had just revealed to Sejuani, she looked over at Doris and asked, "How will you get back?"

"I'll walk." She breathed deep and exhaled. "I need the fresh air anyways." Her grinned half-vanished as she locked eyes with Sejuani. "The princess has learned as much about combat as she needs from me. You on the other hand require training of a different caliber." Sejuani nodded. Doris struck the horse lightly and it began the walk home; leaving Doris ample time to collect her thoughts, and revel in the better memories of her past with Astarea. But she knew she would first have to handle the inglorious task of relieving Ashe's gift pony from its misery.

As the girls rode back into the palace grounds, Ashe clutched tightly to Sejuani, not wanting her to let go just yet. Sejuani however, had her thoughts invested in what kind of training Doris had in store for her. 'I won't be weak, anymore.' She looked down at the half-asleep princess in her arms. 'I'm going to be strong. For you.'


	6. As We Began To Grow

**Chapter 6: As We Began To Grow**

_Present. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. The Royal Hall._

Sejuani gave Bristle a glare that simplified her present feelings about what only Ashe and she could understand him say. After a moment she replied, "Did you believe bringing that up would stir some feelings in me for her? She just did what I wanted to do. What I would've done in time."

"But what you couldn't do back then because you needed her…like I needed her." Ashe cut in.

"Oh yeah," Sejuani made a small chuckling sound, "you needed her alright. You weak shit! You always needed her. You were useless on your own. You couldn't exist on your own!"

You're right!" Ashe cried out. "I needed someone. And I turned to you."

"Wasted effort. You were a pain from the moment we met. To think I'd ever stay longer than I needed to."

"Exactly! You needed to stay. Your training with her is why you're such a fierce warrior. She taught you how to be a great warrior. Greater than her!"

Sejuani let out scornful laughter. "Yes! I am! Now we seem to be getting somewhere!"

"She wanted you that way. She wanted you to be able to protect me; as my-!"

"DON'T YOU FUCKING CALL ME THAT!" Anger poured out like a broken faucet from Sejuani. "I AM NOT YOUR PROTECTOR ANYMORE! I AM YOUR ENEMY! NOW END THIS LUDICROUS BEHAVIOR AND FACE ME!"

Ashe came up close to Sejuani; who was a little stunned by this. She reached her hand out to lightly grip the warrior's chin. It was trembling in her grasp. "I swore to you that I would never…I thought it would provMRPF!" With powerful force Sejuani drove her free palm into Ashe's face and launched her back and down to the ground.

"Don't you ever get that close to me again! EVER!" Sejuani roared.

Ashe looked hurt as she lie on ground. Not so much from colliding with the floor and sliding several feet across its smooth, marble surface; as she did over having someone she still cared so much for, think so little of her attempt to embrace them via such an aggressive response. She was faced with an impossible situation; wherein she wanted nothing more than to take hold of Sejuani and wouldn't quit trying, while in an equal but opposite effort Sejuani was not going to let her unless the contact they made was done while locked in mortal combat.

The princess began to whimper. "You…I…It had-!"

"Don't…you…fucking…say it!" Whatever Ashe had wanted to say, Sejuani made it blatantly clear she didn't want to hear it. "Your delusions of the past are your own, and you are stuck in that fairytale where you got to call all the shots. Now I am just as powerful and your happy little farce ended when I proved I don't need your aid by destroying that envoy you sent to me."

Arising to sit up, Ashe let a tear run down her cheek and pleaded, "I was prepared to do anything for you!"

The warrior's rigid face wrinkled and cringed. She grabbed her helm from atop her head by the horn, and chucked it directly at Ashe as she screeched in a sorrowful tone, "LIAR!" Ashe put up her arms to take the force of the helm. She faintly heard the fabric of her royal garment tear as the horn of Sejuani's helm cut into her arm, drawing blood. When her arms came down the crazed warrior was upon her, gripping her by the collar and getting her down to be straddled underneath her own body. Her voice was shaken; not as tough and macho-esque as she had been displaying up until this point; but more timid and wretched. And without knowing it she was crying so very excessively; as if someone was sprinkling her face with fluid. "DON'T YOU DARE TELL ME YOU WOULD HAVE DONE ANYTHING FOR ME! DON'T YOU DARE LIE TO ME! TO ME!"

_Fifteen years ago. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. The Royal Hall._

"We have gathered here to pay tribute to a young woman who has proved herself worthy of defending the life of Princess Ashe!" Queen Astraea announced before a crowd of every noble in the kingdom. "Sejuani Sharpwind Behn! Do you believe you are worthy to have this honor bestowed upon you?!"

On one knee before the very first step that led to the throne, Sejuani replied, "Heart and soul! I believe I am worthy! I swear before you, and in the presence of these nobles, that my life will end before hers." Her tone seemed almost like it was filled partway with joyful relief, as if she had been dreading that this was almost too unbelievable to be true. That she would be here, in full armor; armor similar to that of Doris'. After all she was trained by Doris, it only felt natural to use armor that fit the same fighting style.

Astraea turned to her right, where Ashe was seated, and visibly fidgeting. "Princess Ashe!" It was supposed to get her attention, in fact according to ceremony she was supposed to look at her mother, but she was fixated on Sejuani still. Astraea nearly sighed. "Inspect this noble. Tell your queen if you find her acceptable."

"Yes." The adolescent princess' answer was far too quick, especially since she broke tradition in her curt response. But she managed to save herself and move on. "Y-Yes…of course My Queen! I will do just that." Ashe got up in formal royal fashion and walked over to stand before Sejuani.

Sejuani looked up at Ashe. In accordance with the ceremony she had prearranged questions to answer to. When she met Ashe's eyes she feared that this might not happen. The face she saw looked as if it had declared, and begun, a serious war with the smile that was acting as a freedom fighter against her.

Ashe still managed to sound convincing. "Where do your loyalties lie? Speak so all may hear you."

The noble mouthed 'With you' before stating clearly, "I will only ever be loyal to The Freljord!"

A tear came from out of Ashe's right eye, so she turned herself so the nobles couldn't see it. If she had tried to, or wanted to, wipe it away then people would take notice. "Are you willing to commit the entirety of your life to this honor? Speak so all may hear you."

Sejuani began to mouth something, but Ashe knew she couldn't take on whatever it was so she broke character and looked elsewhere. "I freely give the entirety of my life for this honor!"

The princess looked back at a half-smile before her eyes. It was almost, if not literally, contagious in nature. "If my life was placed in your hands, would it ever face death alone? Speak so all may hear you."

With the hand that wasn't on her upright knee, the girl made a motion with two fingers slowly dragging across the air. Ashe's eyes shut tight for a brief moment to appreciate what was being said, without actual words, to her. Her left cheek tingled in a neuronal memory reflex of those two fingers being slowly dragged from behind her jawbone and down to peel off just before the center of her chin. This wasn't done by Sejuani to pick on the nervous girl, but to calm her because the act was generally done when Ashe was stressing too excessively over something petty. It failed to do so this time.

Now, the response was supposed to be 'No, I will be there in your final hour!' but instead Sejuani planned a more meaningful response and replied, "Yes! You will face death alone only after I have done so myself!"

Her words received a positive chorus of murmurs from the crowd of other nobles. They seemed so pleased, so quickly, by her reply that the Queen knew it would be overwhelmingly upsetting to point out that her response was incorrect.

Ashe turned to face the queen. "My Queen! I find this noble to be worthy of me!"

Astraea rose from her chair and made a commanding statement. "Then you have my permission to bestow this honor upon her."

Turning back to face Sejuani, she said, "Give unto me your sword."

The noble unlatched the sheathed weapon from her side and held it out so Ashe could pull it from out of the sheath. She did. "With the weapon you will use to defend me, before My Queen and these nobles, I honor you," she performed an action similar to knighting someone on Sejuani, "as my Highguard! I place in you the trust of my life! Honor this land and its people by never sullying this bestowment!" Ashe lightly grips the sword by its blade and faced the hilt towards Sejuani. This last act is done to show the amount of faith that is given to a newly bound Highguard. If Ashe receives a cut from it, Sejuani will be hanged for drawing the blood of the one in her charge. Knowing this Ashe is almost trembling. But Sejuani smiles and effortlessly draws the blade perfectly to sheath it once more.

"Arise Highguard Sejuani Sharpwind Behn and be recognized!" Ashe declares. As she stands up a rumpus of cheers comes from the other nobles and the festive part of the ceremony begins. In a well-practiced manner Sejuani lines up a pace behind and to the left of Ashe. A position she will be in for the rest of her life as Ashe's Highguard. In retrospect the only three people more powerful than her in the Freljord are Ashe, Doris and Astraea. This was the honor that she was bestowed. And for only being fifteen, that was quite an accomplishment. If the princess was ever charged with leading a military division, Sejuani would command the generals for her. It was that much faith that she had earned. It was that great of an honor.

As the catering staff quickly poured into the royal hall to setup for the formal party, Ashe found herself lost in a sea of curious and congratulatory nobles. But not alone. Already Sejuani was ushering the nobles who weren't presently speaking with Ashe to stay a fair distance back. She was taught that in these situations a space needs to be maintained so that if her sword was drawn she would only cut up the attacking person or persons, and not accidently hurt bystanders, or Ashe. The nobles immediately found her intimidating enough to do so, but were mostly pleased their beloved princess was in such good hands. The next few weeks would be the 'proving grounds' of Sejuani's resolve to fulfill her duty, completely. Thankfully the party went off without a hitch.

In a splendid manner the nobles began drinking their fill and engaging in silly challenges of drunken wit and impaired physical acts for the jesters' many festive games. Astraea and Ashe could only witness the enjoyment of others. They were formally charged by their titles to watch the nobles prove themselves as if the activities were a sort of test. All of this was done in the spirit of the games, and not so much to prove themselves to the Royal Family. It would have been difficult to expect the intoxicated masses of the party to show exceptional prowess in the execution of simple tasks for the betterment of their social status; so in effect it was really just a show put on to look serious and add to the humorous theme that was actually intended.

Standing behind each of the seated Royals and Highnobles, were their Highguards. Each stood firm to the left and slightly behind the chair of their charge. Their off-hands were on the sheaths of their swords, while the other rested on the top of the chairs back rest, showing to anyone looking that the ones seated are being guarded. As Astraea, Ashe, and the Highnobles fulfilled their role as a cheering audience with fake-spirited, cheering banter, each Highguard gave a firm five-clap response that almost seemed programmed. If the cheering was a serious praise to sober participants in other types of festive settings, their applause would have been exactly the same. A standard of serious display was required, by every Highguard, any time they were in the presence of the populace.

Watching a young noble attempting to balance the tip of his sword on his index finger, in a vain attempt to outdo a jester and his prop-sword, until his brain pulled a message into its alcohol soaked tissue, coming from his finger, that several seconds had passed since he began bleeding and that pain was occurring; Ashe found herself growing tired of her nobles hilarious and idiotic, drunken hijinks. Bringing her left hand up to pat her left shoulder; a motion that was derived from Royals of old in shorter chairs whose overprotective Highguards kept their grip on their charge; to signal Sejuani that she would like to turn in for the night.

Sejuani understood at once what to do. She rapped her gauntlet on the post of Ashe's chair twice, loud enough to be heard by the entire room. "Princess Ashe begs for an audience!"

Everyone stopped doing anything and fixated on Ashe. To her this was Sejuani's big day. To the nobles that was partly true, but even more so it was Ashe's full representation as a pristine cog in their governing body. She had a Highguard all her own. No longer is she the babysat sidekick of her mother. Now she is beginning her role as a grown princess. Many things she knew she would gain; many knowns and unknowns she knew she would dread. All of which was offset by level of inebriation she had reached and only recognized after standing up.

"My people! I have appreciated all the respect you have given me tonight! And to my new Highgourd! She will serve me well…I mean…I trust that she will serve me well!" Baby Ashe was not fully grown yet. She had not realized in that moment that alcohol takes a little more restraint than what she had been giving it earlier in the night. "I leave you all with my love! I am sorry but I must seek rest!"

Sejuani wasn't the only one noticing that it was becoming difficult for Ashe to decide which foot was more stable to stop her teetering. But the Highguard knew she was the strong type. She knew that something would have to be done, but Ashe has to be spared any disrespectful murmurs or looks. She moved in and grabbed Ashe by the arm. With a bright smile she proclaimed, "She told me she was going to make it hard for me to do my job, but she didn't say how hard!"

The room erupted in laughter, and instead of receiving laughter towards her, Ashe got to laugh along with the nobles. Comments shot out like, "Aye! Now she's a woman! A Royal Woman!" and, "Tis' better to have drunk and lost, than never to have drunk at all!"

As Sejuani led Ashe away from the laughing, drunken mob of nobles, she glanced over her shoulder at Doris and Astraea. Doris gave no response of any kind, meaning she doesn't disapprove of what Sejuani did, which is a plus. Astraea did something unexpected to Sejuani, she gave a curt nod. It stabbed Sejuani through her heart and straight to the bone. Ashe's mother actually gave her an approval. That was a rare treat.

Getting Ashe to her room was the easy part, Sejuani knew this, getting her to bed was the first battle the new Highguard would face. And someone fueled that fire with alcohol.

Ashe ran right in and plopped herself down onto the bed. Gripping the sheets she leered back a Sejuani and stated, "You know, this bed is so soft." Her lips pursed a little.

"I know." Sejuani replied plainly.

Ashe rolled over to her back. "But you gotta feel 'em tonight." She patted the bed a few times. "They're really soft."

"I'm good. Maybe some other time. You need your rest. Get yourself undressed." Sejuani's orders as a Highguard were to remain by the door, off-hand on hilt of sword, permitting no entrance by any staff that was not supposed to go in. She wanted to stay by Ashe's side more than anything, and could see the irony, so she had to follow the rules to the letter.

Ashe arose and sat at the mirror-table near her bed. She parted her hair and said, "Can you help me? I've had so much drink that I just can't seem to do it myself."

Without giving it a second thought, Sejuani walked over, pulled one thread-end out of the knot on her royal garment, and walked back to the same spot, in the same position, by the door.

Ashe whipped her head over to stare at Sejuani. "That's it?"

"Problem solved. Now get undressed and get to bed."

Looking down at her hands, as she fumbled them around one another, she asked, "Is this how it's going to be? No more sneaking into my room at night, or me sneaking into yours? No more time to be so close to you without fear of anything else in the world? No more-?" Ashe was cut short as she turned to ask her last question and see Sejuani on one knee beside her.

Sejuani looked down, swallowed, and then back up. "We knew the first month would be the hardest. But we both wanted this. I promise this will be better." She reached up her sword hand to drag two fingers across Ashe's face, but before she had even made it halfway through the motion Ashe grabbed her hand with both of hers.

"This can never stop!" She nearly shouted. "Whatever happens, this can never stop! Promise me!"

Sejuani knew this was more than just a stressful situation. She knew it would have to be sincere to make Ashe believe her words. With her other hand she reached behind Ashe's head and pulled her in to kiss her on the cheek, opposite the one that routinely received light strokes. "I promise." She could feel Ashe's grip lessen so she began stroking the Princess' cheek again, and similar to before made it only so far before Ashe fell on top of her, driving them both to the ground.

Laying over her Highguard, Ashe got one hand behind her head, and used the other to push her hair on both sides behind her ears as she pulled each lip into her mouth, separately, to moisten them. "You almost did it. You were so close. Just a little off. Try again. Please…?" Ashe stopped short of continuing with her begging to realize what she was doing. "Sej…I'm so sorry. Please I…you gave me…and I just…I'm sorry. I would never push you to-."

Sejuani put a finger to her mouth. "It's okay, I promised and you promised, friend." She smiled.

Ashe smiled and came in close to Sejuani so that their cheeks touched. "Of course."

Sejuani began to feel her armor loosen on her left arm. "I can't." Then her right arm. "Really…" The armor pieces of her left arm gradually became looser trailing down to her gauntlet. "Ashe don't tempt me to stay, cause I will, and I can't. Please?"

Ashe got up from her and went towards her bed in silence. As she neared the bed she undid her garments with incredible ease, like she hadn't actually been drinking, and before reaching the bed her clothes had all fallen to the floor. She knelt on her bed, her back to Sejuani, in only her undergarments. "At least wait until I'm asleep."

Like a disease of madness, Sejuani found herself transfixed in a manner that had been growing in intensity these last eight years. Rising herself, the armor of her arms fell to the floor the instant she was on her feet. Grappling her wrists with opposite hands she loosened her gauntlets enough to fling them off as she whipped each hand towards the floor. Hands exposed, she move with gentle haste forwards to get one hand around Ashe's waist and the other on the spot between her neck and shoulder. She leaned into Ashe.

A shockingly cool sensation encompassed Ashe's back as the armor touched her skin. She knew she was driving this crashing carriage of flesh and steal at this point. She led them both down so her head would hit a pillow. She could feel the soft pressure of Sejuani's mass and the remaining armor pieces compress her into the overly-comfortable mattress. Ashe had absolutely no desire for this crushing feeling to cease, but it did as Sejuani shifted herself half-off of her. An imaginary feeling of overexposure filled the half of her body that Sejuani was no longer on top of.

Sejuani's grip on Ashe was firm but gentle. Nostalgia struck before bliss as she was relieved of the burdens of her addictions for this girl's warm, soft skin. Her smell. The way her body reacted to being touched. Out of the many times that Sejuani had had the opportunity to caress Ashe's body; they all paled in comparison to the urge she now felt to rip the reinforced steel chainmail and plates apart to allow every inch of their bodies to touch. She fought herself, almost futilely, because she feared not carrying out her role as Ashe's Highguard. She faintly remembered hanging out the window to her right, fully nude in the chill winter air, nearly a year ago as Gladys was in a frenzy getting Ashe ready for an event she was already late to.

There was too much risk, she knew it. She just had to try and control herself so Ashe could fall asleep. She nestled in close and could smell the wine, thick on Ashe's tongue. And as Sejuani tried her hardest to be still, Ashe did indeed fall sound asleep. Sejuani lifted her head to look at the sleeping princess before her. She reached a few fingers over to caress her lips, but stopped just short. 'One day…' she thought, 'one day, I promise. I'll give you what you want.'

With expert ease Sejuani stealthily got up from the bed, lifted a blanket over Ashe, picked up her scattered armor pieces, and left the room without making a distinguishable sound.

"Damn, Junco just made a fortune." Doris' voice whistled past Sejuani's head.

Ashe's Highguard swung herself around in a muted frenzy. "What the fuck are you doing here?!" She whispered, with an intent to scream.

Doris smiled. "Well…ya did me proud. C'mon, let's get to bed, too." She turned on her heels and started down the hallway.

Sejuani shook her head in embarrassment and followed until Doris stopped to turn around and say, "If ya don't want to receive more ridicule than necessary, I'd put those back on now." She pointed at Sejuani's hands.

As they walked back towards the Palace Highguard Quarters, Sejuani fumbled around to get her gear on quickly. When they got inside the other four Highguards who lived with them were seated around the center table of the Commons. Junco, Alice, Raylan, and Jacob.

They all stared at her; she looked like a stag gazing into a bright light. Raylan approached her first. He got his hands around her left arm, over the armor that protected it. He smiled. Turning around he said, "Yep. She put the right one on her left arm. Settle all bets now." One gave a hooray as the other two gave their disapproval over losing their bets.

Sejuani brought her free hand to her face and wrestled loose of Raylan's grasp on her other arm. "See, I knew she was strong!" Junco said triumphantly, showing off a pose of strength like a macho-egomaniac. He held out his hand and everyone in the room, besides Sejuani, placed four gold pieces in his hand. He walked over to her and showed off his reward. "Thank you kindly, Highguard. I had four-to-one odds."

Pulling her hand from her face, the fifteen year old screamed like a spoiled child, "What is wrong with all of you!?" Her face was twisted in sadness and anger. "Why would you do this?! Don't you understand what it's like being so close-?!" Sejuani cut her words short in fear of what she could let slip.

Everyone in the room stopped smiling. Junco put a hand on each of Sejuani's shoulders. "Yes. We know what it's like for you two." He gave a tilt of his head towards the area Doris was standing. "We've watched a similar scenario unfold for years. C'mon, you know us. This was all just fun, and sorta part of initiation. Just laugh it off."

Alice stood up. "You know we support you, right? You don't have to hide anything from us."

"Don't feel any shame in how you are. Be stronger than that. Like we know you are." Jacob added.

Sejuani stopped fretting long enough to look over everyone in the room; Raylan nodded as she looked his way. She got a quick jabbing feeling in her stomach like she wanted to cry in relief. Breathing deep, she began to list out the positives of tonight. Just the way Doris told her to whenever she got down on herself. Finger by finger she exclaimed, "I'm Ashe's Highguard; the queen gave me one of the only positive reactions I've ever gotten from her; I…" she smiled, making everyone grin, "…got to help Ashe to bed; and I get the satisfaction that the majority of those who tried to make a joke out of my night are each out a week's pay." Her smile was blinding now.

Huffs and guffs erupted out of everyone but Junco in a chorus of annoyance. As each walked towards their own rooms they gave Sejuani one last look of approval. She too, looked into each face feeling quite settled. Junco patted each of her shoulders separately, winked at her, and then turned to go to his own room.

"Wait!" Doris chimed in. Everyone looked her way. She was standing beside Sejuani's door. On her door were two panel slots. The top one was void of a panel, the bottom one had a wooden panel with Sejuani's full name etched onto it. "Gota make it official." She was holding a second panel behind her back.

Sejuani saw Alice jump over the table first with a determined look on her face, before being grabbed at one arm by her. Before she could react, Raylan had grabbed her other arm. She looked over at Doris with worry. Junco and Jacob were standing in what appeared to be a line behind Doris. "What?! What is thisAAAHHH!" Doris struck her in the butt with the wooden panel she had been holding. Then went over to take Alice's spot so she in turn could get in line. "Are you all nuts?!" Another blow came from Junco, who took over for Raylan. "OW!" Jacob gave a hard hit as Sejuani tried to break free. Doris was the real anchor here, it's no wonder she went first. "DORIS!?" Alice gave a holler as she swung the panel on Sejuani the hardest of them all. AH! WHAT THE FUCK GUYS?!" They began laughing as she struggled in pain. Finally Raylan struck her and they let her go. She lashed out at anyone who wouldn't let her pin her sore rear end to the wall. "What the fuck was that for?!"

Raylan tossed her the wooden panel. Doris replied, "That was the hazing part of your initiation. Now you've earned that panel in your hands."

Sejuani looked down at the wooden panel. Etched into it was the word 'HIGHGUARD'. Anger consumed her and she brandished it like a two-handed weapon. "You're all dead!"

With hilarious tones and inhuman haste, all those but Doris dashed off to their own rooms, with a near-simultaneous, audible clicking of each door's deadbolt locking from within.

Sejuani squared on Doris. "Why would you-?!"

Doris held up a hand. It was always the way she demanded silence, and no one was foolish enough to disobey her. Well one was once, but only once was he ever so foolish. "We all went through it. It's tradition." She walked up to Sejuani and said in a low tone. "You need to come to terms with this. We have already discussed the traditions you know are still waiting out there ofr you."

Sejuani nodded her head.

"It's all a part of becoming a Highguard. Now get some sleep. You have to be at her door before she wakes up." With that, Doris retreated to her own room, leaving Sejuani standing there with the panel.

Sejuani looked down at the etching on the panel again. She felt a rush of joy consume her. The thought of this being so true was relieving. She faced her door and slide the wooden panel into its rightful place with a hard thud.

Like a dog waiting on her master, Sejuani stood outside Ashe's door. She had to be patient. Ashe would come out in her own time. But Sejuani knew this hell was going to befall her. In the past she could go right in and help Ashe get dressed. Every touch quelled her addiction long enough to wait until the next time she could feel the princess. Looking down at her gauntlets she wondered if she could still get that same feeling through her gloved hands. Knowing the answer was that it wouldn't be the same, she still steeled herself to be strong.

The door finally opened, and Sejuani could relax, until Ashe took notice of her Highguard before her and charged at her with full force. Pinning Sejuani to the wall Ashe let out, "You jerk! I wanted you to stay all night! I fell asleep thinking I'd open my eyes to your dumb face!" She uselessly beat her fists on Sejuani's chest piece.

As she calmed down she rested their foreheads together. "Hold me."

"It's not appropriate-."

"Don't make me order you to. Just do it."

Reluctantly, while at the same time willingly, Sejuani got her hands around Ashe's back. She could feel the high-strung form before her, melt into her hold. It was soothing.

"There, ya see. Doesn't that feel better than a punch? That's what I wanted last night. That's what I wanted this morning. Didn't you want this?"

Sejuani got her nose on top of Ashe's head to breathe in the smell of her hair. "You know I wanted this too. Don't doubt me because I had a duty to carry out. Do I doubt you when you pull away from me to do royal shit?"

"No." Ashe shook her whole self. "I'm sorry. I know. I know."

"Why is it that I always find you two touching each other?" An annoying tone came from down the hallway.

Ashe and Sejuani turned to see Lillian Galte, fraternal twin sister of the Galte Highnoble family's heir Leon Galte. She was an auburn haired, eggshell-white skinned, four-foot ten nuisance to the many peoples of the kingdom. Had a feeling of greater privilege then she actually had. Most likely indoctrinated from her father who felt his Highnoble family's role as the head of Foreign Affairs made them much more important than those who handled other things like: the economy; or the agricultural status of the kingdom as a whole.

Without thinking it through Ashe retorted, "Because we both have something you'll never get from anyone."

Sejuani didn't see a way to play this off as nothing.

Lillian just gave them each a glance before stating, "You insulted our family Ashe. That won't go unnoticed."

"If you're referring to selecting Sejuani over your brother, then I can hardly see why it was such a tough choice."

The noble's face lit up with red coloring from her heated blood as her face contorted in anger. "My father is already filing a formal complaint before the queen as we speak." She relaxed a little, like she hadn't just been ready to burst. Then she put on a smug face. "Within a week you'll be forced to make the right call."

Ashe turned on the girl. "Who are you to force anything on **me**? If I took that to mean a threat, I could have my Highguard lock you in the dungeon. Don't you through your empty-weight at me."

In a cowering retreat, Lillian took off retorting, "You'll see. She won't last a week."

Ashe made a noise that perfectly displayed her level of frustration. She turned on Sejuani and nearly roared, "She's so wrong! You're gona be the best Highguard anyone has ever had! Do you hear me?!" She pointed at her.

The Highguard smiled. Just smiled.

It was enough to let Ashe calm down. "Let's go blow off some steam, okay?"

Sejuani nodded and followed Ashe down to the Royal Training Arena. There were soldiers sparing one another, and in one enclosed portion was a young man practicing the same maneuver on a dummy over and over again. They both knew who it was. Leon Galte, also an auburn haired, eggshell-white skinned, but six-foot two, broad shouldered warrior. He stopped to notice the two of them watching. He looked directly at Sejuani and smiled. He then bowed at Ashe and pleaded, "My Princess, will you grace me with the honor of sparing with a real opponent. Preferably your stunning new Highguard?"

Ashe always had a dislike for him. He was in no way a jerk like his father or sister, but he always loved sparing with Sejuani. The two would really get into it, and she would always have to watch as the boy put a smile on Sejuani's face whether she won or lost. Jealous was too light a word to describe her feelings about their entire relationship; in fact it's doubtful a word exists to detail it completely.

"If she," The words ate at her as she spoke them, "so chooses, then you may."

Leon smiled. Sejuani smiled, ignoring the faked look of acceptance on Ashe's face.

Both had armor on, but his was weighted for practice, and hers was royal for being a Highguard, so they both removed their armor and picked up dull swords from the rack.

"Let's see if you've been given a new ego since being bestowed such a great honor." Leon exclaimed.

Sejuani laughed. "Whatever it's given me, can't be half as big as your head."

He laughed, and with them both in joyful moods they lunged at one another to make their own first move. Neither put up a defense, so each received a glancing blow to the chest. The pain looked immense; but the two young, yet conditioned, warriors seemed unfazed. They were both grinning and overflowing with anticipation for the others next attack.

Ashe took a seat where people were allowed to watch the training displays. She twiddled her fingers around, praying that this could all be over soon. She was hoping to practice alone with Sejuani, but instead got stuck with the two enjoying each other in a fight. So she settled for secretly rooting for Sejuani to horribly injure Leon. Not verbally vocal, but physically so.

Dull strands of steel made echoing noises in the enclosed courtyard, causing a disorientating feeling to those inside of it. But it was just a part of the challenge of proving you were the better fighter. They traded blows; laughing as they hit their marks, and congratulating the other as they were struck in turn. To them it had long since been about the fighting, they only ever sparred now for fun.

Sejuani was always happy to play with Leon. He made her feel good about her strengths and good about finding ways to defeat her weaknesses. She admired him a little. Sometimes a little more than she had expected. Despite the fact that he had on several occasions tried to kiss her, she remained focused on the fun they shared in every fight. She knew he wanted her, but she knew she just wanted the game, not the player. But sometimes she wondered if that wasn't the case. It frightened her a little, to think outside of the box of Ashe being the only one she ever wanted to be close to.

Finally the fight ended in the fashion it normally would; one of them grew tired and collapsed under the pressing weight of the others sword. This time Leon fell under Sejuani and the two proceeded to the ground in a heap. Once over top of him Sejuani could see his worn out and grinning face. She smiled back to show 'it was a good fight' and set a hand on his shoulder. He set one on her cheek; prompting Ashe to get up and almost protest. Sejuani felt trepidation over what she knew he would try next. 'Should I let him? WHAT?! NO FUCKING WAY!' But before she could make up her mind he gave her a soft slap on the cheek and held out his hand for a pick-me-up. She pulled back and grabbed his hand to help him up. Her face was brimming with color.

Once he began dusting himself off she asked, "Why didn't you try again? Just curious."

Leon looked at her, leaned to his right to peer over at Ashe, and then leaned back to look at her again. "No need to worry. I know where your heart lies." He walked over to Ashe, who was trying to conceal her emotions of jealousy and sheer confusion. "My sister stopped by in an uproar. You guys have a fight?"

Ashe gave him a sour look. "She was being a pain."

"Yeah but she's just like that. You know that. You don't have to fan her on ya know. Be better than that milady. She's just trying to be like our father, even if she doesn't do it so well." He set down his sword and picked up his armor. "Ya know? I'll be the one to take over from my father. And I can guarantee you I won't be such a bother. I'll make our family name better. Just like I know you'll make things better yourself." He gave her a quick wink and left.

As soon as he was gone, Ashe walked up to Sejuani with a look that showed her shame in being so unnecessarily jealous. Sejuani asked flat out, "Who doesn't know about us?"

In a quick turn of her head Ashe looked over where Leon had left them and then back at Sejuani with a distressed look on her face. "Ugh…" She shrugged.

"Ashe?" Astraea broke their focus from atop the floor above them. "Have your new Highguard join Doris in the Jousting Courtyard next door. She has some special training to administer." Her words were almost like an announcement.

Ashe turned to see Sejuani putting on her armor with a sunken look on her face. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll do well this time." She sounded very enthusiastic. Sejuani did not seem so amused.

Walking into the Jousting Courtyard Sejuani had a horrible feeling in her gut. One that described her frustration in failing in this one type of fighting. From atop a horse. But she quickly took notice of what had drawn Ashe's attention first.

"You suck at fighting on horseback." Doris exclaimed. "So I thought of an archaic form of fighting that many of the peoples of these lands have never seen before." The girls' attention was transfixed on the space being occupied next to Doris. "It seemed like a more fitting mount and a more comfortable one at that."

Next to Doris, covered in very specially designed armored plates and a wide saddle built for no horse imaginable, was Bristle.

Ashe came up to the _s__tort villsvin_ to get her hands around his face. "Bristle! Wow! You look amazing!"

Sejuani followed, but was stopped by Doris. "Take this." Doris handed her a flail with a spiked ball at the end. "Mount your _s__tort villsvin_ steed and show me what you can do."

Coming up to pet Bristle to, she began to appreciate the massive size he had grown to over the years. She knew he had gotten too big to stay indoors, but he had become four times larger than any _s__tort villsvin_ that had been raised for eating at a banquet. The beast was sheer, lean muscle. A smile grew on her face and pushed all her doubts out as she climbed up on Bristle's back. "Alright! Let's do it Bristle!"

"NOFF-OFF!"

While Sejuani showed great joy in striking the dummies with the range of her flail from atop Bristle, Ashe sat next to her mother in the audience seats. She didn't like it. In recent years the two had grown apart from such petty conflict that neither would let up shoveling on the other.

"I saw you down there child. Fretting up a storm in public. Letting everyone see-."

"Shut up. Just shut it. I don't care who sees what I am. I'm not like you. I don't feel shame for how I feel."

"Don't you speak to me in such a bitter tone. I am your mother and the queen."

"Be my queen if you wish, but don't pretend you're a mother. Your hypocrisy offends you more than you let it. Much more than I can stand it."

"If you wish to keep what you have from being ripped away from you, you'll follow my advice."

"Everyone who knows about us doesn't care."

"And you expect everyone who doesn't to feel the same? You've just been lucky so far."

Ashe felt it pointless now, as she often did as of late, to continue this discussion so she just settled for ignoring her mother. She knew what was right. What she wanted. She didn't care about her mother's insistent warnings. She had had enough of those to deal with over the years.

"Think about her."

"Don't you dare talk about her. I won't stand for it."

"They won't punish you, they'll punish her."

"They won't punish anybody. If you weren't so fucking blind you'd see that yourself."

"Yes child, spout curses at me. You're sure to win the peoples approval with that kind of response."

The pair were caught off guard as Bristle came up next to Ashe. "I think this will work just fine!" Sejuani exclaimed.

"It surely will." Astraea noted. "Well done. You two will be a fierce combatant for any enemy in battle. I have faith you'll serve the people, and my daughter well."

Sejuani was overjoyed at the sudden praise Astraea was giving her. Feeling like it was tied right into the fact that she had become Ashe's Highguard. She smiled and looked at Ashe, who gave her a positive smile in return.

Ashe got up to set a hand on her mother's and leaned in close to whisper, "You had your chance long ago to get points with her. Stop trying to do so now."

She replied, "She is doing her duty, it is my responsibility to reward her good actions and punish her incorrect ones in turn. Don't mistake me for someone looking to gain anyone's favor. I am the Queen."

Ashe waited for Sejuani to dismount Bristle. The two smiled and laughed as they petted him, while a staff member dismantled his armor and saddle. Then the two said their goodbyes to him and began their way towards the Royal Hall.

On the steps of the Royal Hall a precession of commoners were gathered to pay tribute to the new Highguard. The people loved their princess, and in turn they loved Sejuani as well. The two gave the people hope for the future, and the girls always gave some time out of their day to meet with them and hear their concerns. Ashe felt it good to get started early on leading her kingdom by speaking with them in this most personal sort of way. That their voices fell on listening ears, instead of reverberating off of the doors of the Royal Hall.

This time the people around them gave great respect to the area Sejuani had to maintain empty around Ashe. No one made a scene about being so far from their beloved treasure of a princess. Everyone took a turn at telling her what matters troubled them most and she took note of each concern by promising to bring them up in the Royal Hall. Minutes became an hour as the people went on and on, but Ashe felt it necessary to ear each one in turn, so Sejuani remained strong as she kept them in line.

It wasn't really real the moment everyone began to scream. To Ashe it seemed like something that just wasn't supposed to be. But to Sejuani it felt more like something that couldn't possibly be happening.

In her right peripheral Sejuani could see a blade, lancing its way towards Ashe. Trained reflexes took over and she swung out her sword arm to glance the blow off her gauntlet as she reached over with her other hand to push Ashe out of the way before the next strike. It too came fast and hard as it struck Sejuani in the side, denting her chainmail and injuring her gut with what will soon become a bruise.

Drawing her blade while remembering a warning Doris had given her she squared on the attacker to stop just before retaliating to absorb who was the assailant. For a brief moment she couldn't believe it was true, so her sub-conscious forced her to ignore who it was and she began to put up a fight. Trading blows from blade to blade felt in no way familiar to her from the assailant. They seemed focused on rushing past her to reach Ashe. Sejuani knew this was the weakness of their attack and risked them coming close only to sucker them into receiving a fatal lance into their leather chest piece; most certainly worn to be quick and agile so they may quickly end Ashe's life. Sejuani twisted her sword as she pulled out to widen the wound and immobilize the attacker. This fight was real. In seconds the fate of one was decided. She knew that's how easily she could die in combat. But she never expected to be faced with an opponent like this one.

As soon as the assailant hit the ground she dropped her sword and dove to embrace them. "NO! WHY?!" She was holding the attacker like a dying family member. Ashe got up and took notice of who it was. She shook her head hoping this was just a bad dream. Dying in Sejuani's arm was Leon Galte. The good Galte. The one they both liked the most from that family, Sejuani even more so. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS?! WHY YOU?! IT COULD HAVE BEEN ANYONE! WHY YOU?!"

From out of the crowd at opposite ends came Highguard Doris and Queen Astraea, and Highnoble Lawrence Galte, the current head of the Galte family, and Leon's father. Doris began dismissing the commoners at once, While Astraea approached Lawernce. "Explain?"

He looked at her without dismay over his dying son. "It is my right. By Royal Law I have ordered my son to carry out a duty any noble may perform."

Ashe got up and bellowed at him, "What right could you possibly have to do this?!"

Astraea held up her hand. "Any noble has the right to challenge the fitness of a new Highguard. He has committed no wrongdoing."

"No wrongdoing! Are you fucking stupid! He forced his own son to attempt to kill your fucking daughter! And he let him pay the cost of it in his own son's blood!"

Lawrence spoke up, "Milady, it troubles me too to see my son die at such a young age!"

Ashe pointed her finger into his face. "You shut the fuck up! You have no right to act like a concerned father after what you've done! Fuck you!"

Astraea turned on Ashe. "You will not speak in such a manner to one of my Highnobles. By our laws he has committed no crimes. And don't forget his son choose to do this."

That reality crushed Ashe. She didn't want to believe that that kind boy, who had almost become her Highguard, had agreed to do something so heinous. That was something she had known in her anger but didn't want to admit was true. She stopped screaming to go and kneel beside Sejuani, who was cradling Leon in her hands.

"Why?" Sejuani was in tears. "You didn't have to."

Pushing his voice through the blood coming out of his mouth he spoke without a fear of death. His nobility being rightly confirmed in his final moments as he did so. "It was my duty. I was asked for the sake of my family's name to do so. It's who I am. It's who I've always been. It's what gives me pride. To be a Galte, no matter who else is one."

Sejuani gripped his leather armor. "But why not in full armor? Why in something like this?"

He smiled. "Don't tell my father, but I agreed knowing I would never have wanted either of you dead."

Sejuani cringed. "You agreed to die?"

Leon nodded. "For my honor."

Ashe could hear them talking softly and made out every other word. Their heads were so close. She wondered if Sejuani was going to kiss him in his final moments. 'FOR FUCK"S SAKE! WHY WOULD YOU EVEN THINK ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW?! THAT CAN'T POSSIBLE MATTER MORE THAN HIS LIFE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!' Her conscious screamed in her head as if she was a cruel person; the cruelest person in the world.

Ignoring everything and everyone around her, Sejuani felt compelled to give Leon a kiss; just one so he can die happy. 'He deserves it. He's dying for you.'

But before she reached him she felt his hand on her cheek. His grip felt so very weak; fleeting almost. "Save that for the one you love. I love you and I want you to be happy. I've always loved you." Patting her on the cheek was the last action his body made before collapsing to the ground.

Sejuani rose from the ground, wiping the tears from her eyes. Ashe was still kneeling before her. She looked at Astraea, and Leon's father. Then at Doris. Each of their faces showed no emotions. She realized this was the reality that existed around her now; the one that always had and she was oblivious to because Ashe was her shield. She looked down at Ashe. The princess was still shaken up. In that moment, Sejuani sounded so serious it freighted her, "Threat neutralized, milady."


	7. When We Were So Ignorant

**Chapter 7: When We Were So Ignorant**

_Present. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. The Royal Hall._

Waiting in proper formation, gripping their ceremonial pikes, the guards who usually occupied the interior of the Royal Hall; sat in wait outside listening to a most deathly screaming. They could only assume that the battle happening inside was going to determine whether the matter could be dealt with from the two leaders; or if open war was going to commence on the palace grounds with the army Sejuani had brought with her.

Tryndamere and his Highguard, Andros, stood in no-man's-land staring down Olaf. Both sides could see the frozen solid masses of warriors that stood across the field from them. It was the dead of night, with fog lofting over the tops of both armies; the fog of their collective breaths. No lights were on, not even a torch. Only the full moon allowed them all to see. Despite what The Winter's Claw or the Avarosans believed about each other; only those made to fight, and fight fiercely, were standing on this shiny, snowy ground.

Hundreds of ready fighters remained nearly quiet as they listened to the screaming that seemed to funnel through the closed, large wooden doors of the Royal Hall like a large bullhorn. Olaf smirked. "Sounds like the pitiful howling of your pathetic princess in their getting her limbs torn apart."

Tryndamere, and following his example Andros, remained silent and focused on Olaf's eyes.

"Don't think me a fool. I know that once your princess is dead, we're still going to have our own battle." A wide grin formed on his face.

This was true. They all knew it. Once a victor was decided in there; the most it would do is bolster one side's moral, and inflame the resolve of the other. When one of them comes out alive, this battle will still commence.

Unbeknownst to those outside, Sejuani had Ashe's hair locked firmly in one hand as she lifted up and drove down her head into the smooth marble floor. Screaming resonances of desperate pain as she carried out her brutal attack. She made it to about the third slam before being lifted up entirely and flung across the room like a ragdoll.

"AAOOOFT!" Her body collided with the floor with enough force to crack a rib. Quickly getting on her feet she charged for her flail, picked it up, and swung it around in an attempt to fatally wound her _s__tort villsvin_.

With the horrifying shrieks of Sejuani's vocal chords ringing in her ears, Ashe felt the intense aftereffects of the blunt force trauma that had been applied to the back of her skull. She reached a hand back via instinct and felt nothing through her hair. Only after bringing her hand back in front of her had she noticed that her search for damage was not thorough enough. Blood was on the tips of her four fingers. Quickly, yet calmly, she reached back again and dug through her hair in stinging pain to find a small wound. Then, noticing that her other hand was shaking, Ashe realized what could be happening to her right now. She might have a concussion. Not a large one, but enough of one to be called so. 'She actually did it. She actually hurt me. No, no! She couldn't have been trying to kill me. She wouldn't! I know it!' She spoke internally as if she was asking her conscious to tell her it wasn't how it seemed, but the silence she was returned only proved there was no argument to be made in Sejuani's defense.

Trying to fight the truth, she got to her feet and took notice of her old friend swinging her flail violently at her old friend's own mount. Sejuani was lashing out attacks directed at Bristle's head. Any strike he couldn't block with his tusks, he stepped back from, causing the pair to slowly run around in circles. Even though his kind doesn't actually scream, Bristle's efforts in making noise were obviously done in the pseudo-form of shouting. Her sounds were more animalistic in nature than his and showed the difference in the opinions they were expressing. Bristle was yelling 'stop' and she was yelling 'die' back at him.

"STOP IT!" Ashe pleaded of them both.

Sejuani immediately turned her focus on Ashe and began to wind up her flail over her head as she charged at the princess.

Combat training took over Ashe as she reached behind her thrown to draw out Avarosa's Bow. She brought it up just in time to snag the end of Sejuani's flail and let it wrap around the bow. From the combination of her newly found strength and her attackers brash fighting style, she was able to wrestle the flail free and clear out of Sejuani's hand. Before any part of the flail hit the ground, she brought the bow around and magically knocked an ice arrow onto it. The chain of the flail laid down first as she drew the arrow back completely. It must have been the sound of the rest of the weapon striking the ground in two crisp noises that got her attention; because the instant before releasing the arrow in anger, her face turned to horror and she adjusted her aim so the arrow would not strike its original target.

The frozen water that had been shaped into a deadly projectile, whizzed past Sejuani's head, cutting some of her hair off as it passed. She dead-stopped and stood in disbelief over what had just happened.

Ashe brought a hand to her mouth like she was trying to keep something from coming out, or going in. Falling to her knees she let out, "NO!" backwards through a deep gasp of air. She looked as if she was dying a terrible death. Her whole body shuddered. She didn't need to ask herself what she had almost done. It was already too great a pain to be the living proof of her actions.

Sejuani's face was the look of a terrified child. "You…you were…you were really going to…kill me?"

"No!" Ashe pushed through her irregular breathing and uncontrollable trembling. "I wouldn't…ever!"

A deeply imbedded thought surfaced inside of Sejuani's head. It took over her like she wasn't her anymore, but more like she was this programmed person. Her psyche was now altered by an insurmountable madness derived from the present moment in which she could not force herself to deal with reality as it stands. "I've committed a crime. I have to be punished. It's the law."

New terror tormented Ashe with painful memories. "NO! Don't say that! I would never!"

"I've committed a crime. I have to be punished. It's the law." Sejuani's tone was flat, as if a teacher instructing a large class.

Ashe released her bow and covered her ears, gripping her fingernails into the sides of her head. "STOP! DON'T SAY THAT!"

"I've committed a crime. I have to be punished. It's the law."

Crawling into a lunging sprint Ashe flew forward and landed right before Sejuani on her knees. She grip the warrior's collar and roared at her, "STOP IT!" As she began to sob, she set their foreheads together.

"I've committed a crime…I have to be punished…It's the law."

"NEVER! I NEVER WOULD HAVE LET THEM DO THAT TO YOU!" Her eyes locked with Sejuani's like a bar stretched from one pair of eyes to the other. "I WOULD HAVE DIED FIRST!"

_Fifteen years ago. Freljord. Avarosa's Palace. Palace Highguard Quarters. Highguard Sejuani Sharpwind Behn's bedroom._

Night was a sort of preset fixation inside the human mind that meant sleep was to occur, especially when night involved lying on a bed designed for such purposes of sleep. However, Sejuani found herself unable to remember any natural means on how to fall asleep. Her brain was alive and kicking with the fresh memory of Leon's death. Staring at a vial of his ashes sitting on her desk.

She was so distracted that even when she knew Ashe was climbing through her window, she didn't react. Nor did she move as the girl plopped down half on top of her and clutched her chest with both hands. But when Ashe came to a rest and said, "I love you." That's when Sejuani's perspective, on what matters more than sleep at the moment, changed.

She sat up quickly and turned to face Ashe, who was still lying there and still gripping her chest. Sejuani latched her hands around the wrists of the girl lying in her bed and let out, "Why? Why would you tell me that right now?"

Ashe shook her head with a slight shrug of her shoulders, "I wanted to bring you comfort. I didn't know what else to say."

"How? How could that have been so comforting in your head before you said it? Comforting for you?"

"No." Ashe rose up to bury her head in Sejuani's chest. "I just wanted you to know you're not alone. That you don't have to put up an act about how you really feel. That I'm not going to think any different of you for being as angry as you rightly should be."

Sejuani let her restrained attitude slide off as she got her arms around Ashe tightly and carried them both back down onto the mattress. Her hold nearly crushed the girl. "You know, he sacrificed himself for us."

"And I'm grateful," Ashe didn't mind nearly having her shoulders dislocated, in fact times like these had always been her greatest memories with Sejuani, "but I know he really did it to save you."

"No, no, he said-."

"He said what an honorable man would say so he could be remembered for being so noble. But if he hadn't accepted his father's orders than his sister would have been sent in his place, and it would be traitorous towards his family to expose her. If she had been sent, she would have attacked me to try and kill you, which would have been her goal. Plus, it's his only sister, if she had died he would have held himself responsible for her death. He saw no victory for himself. It's obvious, he loved you."

Sejuani buried her open mouth into the nape of Ashe's neck. As tears streamed down her face she let out a muffled roar. Ashe could feel the vibrations that stemmed from that point on her body, as they lessened more and more the further they traveled through her. She got her lips right up against the crying girl's ear and said, "I love you. I promise…as soon as I am in charge…I'll banish those two from the kingdom."

From sorrow to rage Sejuani put space, space neither of them really wanted now, between them. "You would do that…just so I would love you?! What is the matter with you?!" Her voice was quite loud.

"No, because I love you. Because it's what's right!"

The Highguard got up off the bed with her back facing her charge. "You love me, that's why you say these things?"

"Yes."

Sejuani turned around, pointing an open hand at her, "You were jealous of him. Of us. You never cared about him!"

"YES!" Ashe was very audible in her initial response. "I was…but this is about what's right…it's the justice I truly believe her deserves. I promise!" She grasped the sheets in front of her as if they were still occupied by two bodies.

"Justice." Sejuani scoffed. "You're family doesn't give a shit about being just. Your mother hides her shame from the world, just like-."

"NO!" Ashe sprang from the bed and tackled Sejuani into the wall. "I don't want to hide these feelings from anyone!"

Getting her hands on Ashe's arms the Highguard retorted, "Neither does your mother, but she does, and so will-."

"NO! I won't!"

"You'll banish them?!"

"Yes!"

"And who will fill their role?"

"What?" Ashe suddenly felt like the conversation wasn't about her feelings anymore. "What do you mean?"

Sejuani shook her a few times as she exclaimed, "Their role? The government that binds your kingdom together? The people's leadership? Who will fulfill their role once they are gone? You have to be their queen when the time comes. You have to think for their sake. Why do you think your mother lives in misery? Because she chooses to? Or is it because she doesn't get the privilege of being who she wants, and letting everyone know how she feels about Doris?"

"I won't do that." Ashe shook her head. "I love you. I won't care who knows it."

"Don't be an idiot!" Sejuani started to get the uneasy feeling she was acting like a parent scolding her child. But she pressed on. "They need you to marry a man; they need you to have a king. I won't be yours behind closed doors. It would tear me to pieces for me to love you and watch you close your bedroom doors with someone you don't love inside your bed, every night."

"You said it! Just now! Say it again!" Ashe enunciated the beginning of each sentence by beating her fists on Sejuani's chest.

Sejuani stared coldly at her as she shook her head.

Gripping the girl's shirt hard she buried her face in Sejuani's chest and moaned in sorrow, "Just say it. Tell me it's true and I will promise you, I'll never deny it."

"They'll think you're weak."

"Run away with me."

Sejuani pushed Ashe back and nearly screamed, "What?!"

Bringing her eyes up Ashe cried, "If you truly believe we can't love each other here, then run away with me!"

"Where?" Sejuani shook her head in utter disbelief. "Where could we possibly go?"

"We-."

"Don't be daft! They'd hunt for you. We'd be on the run for our entire lives."

Ashe cringed and looked down as her mind raced to find an answer; in which she did, but a hasty and foolish one. "I'll tell them I'm abdicating my position. And then we'll just go."

Sejuani clenched her eyes shut, while shaking her head until it slumped down as far as it could. When she brought her focus back up she replied, "Have you forgotten the life I left behind? The miserable one? How could either of us, much less you, ever hope we could live that kind of a life? It's anarchy out there. There is no law, other than your own weapon."

Her voice was very calm now, "I just want us to be together, forever."

"And we will, friend. You'll be there and I'll be at your side; I swore it."

"Say you don't love me."

"What?" Sejuani stood straight up and released Ashe.

"Just say, 'I don't love you Ashe,' and I'll let it all go right now."

"Don't throw that at me. We're friends, right?"

"If we're just friends, than say it. It shouldn't make a difference for a friend to say they're not in love with another friend."

"I'm not doing this crap." Sejuani began to turn away, but Ashe gave her a hard push.

"Say it and release me."

Pointing a finger at Ashe, she replied, "Stop it."

Ashe screamed and lunged into Sejuani, pining her to the ground. "If you're my friend then stop torturing me! Say it! Say you're not in love with me!"

Sejuani looked away; anywhere but her eyes.

"I won't live a lie! Will you? Will you lie to me right now and say-?"

"Stop, please."

"No. We can live forever without you ever giving me the thing I want most from you; I'm prepared for that, but you cannot let me live without knowing how you really feel. I won't let you hide from it, because I'm not…because I'm not weak!"

That word burned immensely inside of Sejuani.

Ashe sounded very calm now. "Prove to me that you're as strong as I know you are. Tell me how you truly feel. Now."

Tears ran down Sejuani's face. "We can't live their life. I could never do that." She got her arms around Ashe and pulled her in close. "I'm afraid. I have lived in fear of a moment like this. Where you would press me. Where you would want us…If I said the same, and you ever betrayed me to that kind of a life…I could never forgive you. Ever."

Ashe gave it her all to prove a look of complete resolve to Sejuani.

"Yes," Sejuani admitted with immense strain, "I love you. I have since you called me friend. It meant so much to me, once I figured out what that really meant, that you called me that."

Ashe smiled, "And every time you called me friend…you were really saying…?"

Sejuani cringed with a slight, but sobbing, grin.

Getting her hands on the cheeks of her lover, Ashe brought herself in to kiss her, but stopped and jerked back. "Sorry! I almost did it again. Sorry, please."

Through sobs that made her giggle somewhat, Sejuani replied, "It's okay. I know you're going to keep trying, and one day you're just going to do it."

"No! I promised I wouldn't, I won't!"

Sejuani dragged two fingers across Ashe's cheek.

"Better." Ashe exclaimed. "This is so much better."

Sejuani knew it was a white lie, but knew it was also a part of Ashe's resolve. A bandage, but not a cure.

Ashe should have gone back to her own room, but didn't. They stayed awake and soaked in the moment they had just shared until stillness became slumber.

When morning broke with the sun's first light, they didn't wake up. Their 'discussion' was conducted far too late in the night. The human body demands so much sleep, it put them two hours over a normal waking time for either of them. When they woke up and realized the time they rushed to get dressed and make a quick break to get Ashe out the window. It was stopped by the morning patrols in the grounds. They decided to try their luck at leaving throw the Highguard Quarter's main door. Sejuani decided she would go out first, just in case, so she can clear a path for Ashe to sneak out.

As soon as she got out of her room, she was met by the entire Highguard staff. They all stared at her as she closed her door. "Hey guys."

The others looked at one another in turns, and then they all looked at Doris. As did Sejuani. "Well?" Doris beckoned.

"Well, what?" Sejuani replied.

Doris looked at a few of the others, and then back at Sejuani. "Are you going to escort your lover back to her room, or just leave her in your bed all day?"

Sejuani's lungs felt like they had collapsed into her feet. "Uh…uh…ugh…"

"Your walls are made of stone, but that door is made of wood." Doris pointed at Sejuani's door. "It was a captivating display listening to you two confess your love for one another last night. I personally found it to be quite inspiring. But she still needs to get back to her room and start her day."

Like a bat out of a cave engulfed with fire, Ashe shot right out of Sejuani's room, past her, and stopped in the middle of the room to loudly decree, "Yes, we are in love! And that's all there is to it!"

The Highguards all looked off and away from either of the girls.

"That's splendid." Doris sounded unamused. "Now get back to your room so Gladys can get you ready for the day."

Ashe took the hint and left without a second thought.

Sejuani looked around the room at everyone's faces. Falling back into the wall, she slid down, slowly, to the floor. "What have I done?"

Doris walked up and stood over Sejuani. Leaning down she replied, "You've freed yourself."

That day, and the remaining days of the week, continued on in repetitive fashion. Each day the girl's schedule had many of the same things that Ashe was slated to do. The only exceptions were which noble she had to discuss kingdom affairs with for that day. Her duty for the time being was to make reports for her mother the Queen. A scribe, not always the same one, would take down important notes and collect necessary documents from said noble and get them ready for Ashe's time to explain the issues of the kingdom to Astraea. The Queen would spend most of her day giving audience to the concerned citizens who had made appointments to be seen by her. An hour out of each day was Ashe's time to present the topics she had discussed with a specific noble the day prior. Sejuani would always be there, controlling crowds; minding the proximity of the nobles and citizens speaking with her; and staying back and to the left as Ashe walked. It had also become routine for Ashe to make use of fixed gaps in the schedule to hold Sejuani in her arms.

After a few weeks a noble brought to her attention that a hostile tribe in the north was constantly raiding cattle herders. He stated with much clarity that the raids seemed to be involving more and more attackers and that scouts have reported many of the tribe's people settling closer and closer to the areas that the cattle travel along.

The next day when she brought it up to the Queen, it invoked a different response from Astraea than her normal 'I'll see to this matter' reaction. "Has this information been confirmed?"

Ashe had thankfully done her job well enough to admit, "Yes, my Highguard had instructed scouts to completely investigate the tribe's forces. They are amassing as we speak."

Astraea turned to her head general. "Organize your troops. We have need of their might."

He nodded and left to make preparations.

"Everyone may leave. I must speak with my Highguard on this matter, alone." She waved a dismissive hand that was known by all to be a signal for clearing the Royal Hall, at once. And they did.

Once outside, Ashe turned and took ahold of Sejuani's right arm. "Shouldn't we be a part of this matter?"

Sejuani shook her head. "We've never done anything in regards to matters outside of the kingdom. And this could be open war, which could be too much for us to handle all at once."

Ashe nodded.

As minutes past, Ashe became impatient. "We should at least check on them."

Sejuani gave her a humorously perplexing look. "If you were told you might have to face off against an aggressive tribe and you cleared the room to talk to me, what would be the first thing you'd do?"

Ashe grinned and fell into Sejuani's chest. "This."

"And I bet they are doing a little more than that."

Ashe giggled.

"Out of the way children!" Highnoble Lawrence Galte came barging through the crowd of nobles, headed for the Royal Hall.

Ashe became rigid and turned on him, extending a palm to face him. "My mother is discussing a serious issue with her Highguard, and I cannot allow you to disturb her."

Galte laughed. "Allow? Milady, you do not have the power to allow or deny my access to the Queen."

Sejuani squared up on Galte behind Ashe, off-hand on the hilt of her sword.

Galte took notice of her and his Highguard squared up in an equal display. A tall and broad man, carrying a claymore on his back. The weapon was designed not for the fancy footwork of a skirmish, but for the opening that would allow him to cut a human body in twain.

Ashe despised him and didn't want to give up this fight, but her scribe whispered in her ear, "Pardon my interruption, milady, but he does have the power to enter the Royal Hall if he presents a valid reason."

The law, was the law. "Okay, Galte, What is the reason for your desire to enter the Royal Hall at this time?"

Clearing his throat, he replied, "I have just been informed of Her Majesty's decision to confront a hostile tribe with open conflict. I must speak with her about the lack of aid she can expect from our allies so that she can make informed decisions on how many and of which forces to use in the handling of those hostiles."

She knew this would be something her mother would need to know before continuing forward, but she didn't want him to win this battle between them. "Guards! Escort Highnoble Galte into the Royal Hall." She knew that would be insulting to him, to have armed guards let him enter. Customarily she would just let a noble pass with their Highguard, but with her insistence she knew he knew he couldn't refuse their company.

"Thank you, Milady." He sounded sincere, if only to put up a show; after all he is a professional foreign relations representative. And in a hurry he rushed the guards forward to let him inside.

Not even a full minute passed after the doors closed behind them before loud voices broke into the courtyard. Ashe and Sejuani looked at one another, and then ran at the doors in a flash. Once they got inside they could barely believe their eyes. Doris was surrounded on all sides by the very guards Ashe had sent with Galte to escort the Highnoble. Her sword was drawn, and their pikes were pointed right at her. Ashe turned to Sejuani, "Stop them!"

"No!" Astraea bellowed. "Stay back! That's an order!"

"What is the meaning of this?!" Ashe demanded, glaring at Galte.

Galte turned his eyes on the princess. "We have just caught the Queen's Highguard engaging herself intimately with the Queen." He said it as if he were a judge describing a crime. Little did Ashe suspect, in her kingdom, it was a crime.

"Surrender at once, Highguard Doris Behn!" One of the guards demanded.

"Guards! Desist at once!" Ashe shouted in nervous fury.

"Ashe!" Astraea spoke up. "Be silent at once!" She looked at Doris, who looked back. They seemed to understand what was going to happen; like they had planned it, or better yet, planned for it.

Ashe began walking forward. "What?! What are you talking about?! It's Doris! Why-?"

"I said be silent!"

The princess was turning from a frightened state to an enraged one. Sejuani looked at Doris, who was beckoning her attention. She mouthed to Sejuani, 'Stop her!' Now, fully understanding what was happening and what needed to happen next she strode forward and grappled Ashe by her arms. Ashe turned to her to make an objection, but Sejuani just began leading her back to the doors they came in by.

"Sejuani?! What are you-?!"

Through gritted teeth, and the same exact feelings that Ashe was having, Sejuani cut her off with a quiet grunt, "Shut up!" Before bringing her right out of the Royal Hall. Ashe struggled and pleaded for her release the entire time she was being forced away from the scene.

Sejuani quickly got Ashe around the corner of the Royal Hall's structure and pinned her to the wall. "Stop it!"

"They're arresting Doris! Why aren't you and my mother trying to stop them?!"

"Because having intimate relations with the queen and not being married to her is a crime!"

"What?!"

"Look…" Sejuani took a moment to compile her thoughts. "…maybe a lot of us know about those two, but most of the kingdom doesn't, including many of the nobles and Highnobles. Whether you like it or not your mother was married to your father and now she is without a king. So the situation that exists 'legally' is that she is still married to the king until she replaces him or she abdicates or she dies. Our situation is different because you are an unwed princess. Those two are in what the laws of this kingdom view as being an illegal affair."

"That's…" Ashe was finding it difficult to push out her emotions and make words. "…fucking stupid!"

"Is this what you want, for us-?"

"NO!" Ashe grab Sejuani by her chest plate and spun her around to switch places and pin her now to the wall. "That's not going to happen! I would never let you or anyone silence me if it was you being arrested! I promised you I'd never deny I love you! They can kill me and I still-!"

"Don't say that." Sejuani got her hands over Ashe's mouth as she retorted. "Please I don't want to even think about something like that!"

"Then stop talking about it, because it is never going to happen."

Despite what they witnessed less than three minutes ago, they were able to share a smile together before remembering why they were outside and not inside the Royal Hall. "They'll be a trial, yes?"

Sejuani nodded.

"And the punishment is?"

Sejauni just gave her a saddened look.

"Don't say it. I don't want to know."

"I won't say it, but you do know. It's treason."

Ashe suddenly looked up at Sejuani with a hopeful grin. "Those two are made for each other. The two most stubborn people either of us know."

"Your point?"

"We need to pressure them both until one of them pops. You go get Doris to fight this, while I go get my mother to put up a fight as well."

"You…and your mother…in a room together? That won't accomplish much."

"It will this time because I know it's something we will both want, I just have to get her to push through this mess and keep her love strong."

"How?"

"Have a little faith. I got you on the strength of my love. So trust me I'm an expert at doing anything for love."

Sejuani smiled and brought up two fingers to drag across Ashe's jawline. "Sounds like a plan."

After taking a moment to let Ashe enjoy what was essentially the same as a pet being petted; the two took off to try and make this right.

As Sejuani made her way down to the palace dungeon she dwelled on what she was already more than sure would actually happen to Doris, but pushed past it because of what Ashe had encouraged her to believe, with another promise. 'Again she promises me something, and I still can't bring myself to give her what she wants. Will it take her moment of death, like Leon's, to get me to just do it? She loves me. She says it. I know it. I can't think about this right now.'

As she approached the holding area a guard stopped her. "No one can see a prisoner at this time."

"Am I under arrest?"

"Um…no."

"Have I commited some treasonous crime?"

"Well…no."

"Then let me ask you, have you forgotten my rank and privileges?"

He looked to another guard who gave him a look back like' 'She's right.'

"Well…I guess you can go, but we have to report it."

"As is your job. Sign me in the ledger and leave me alone with the prisoner, but also make a note in the ledger that I had time alone with the prisoner."

The guard wetted a pen and began transcribing what was happening before turning the parchment around to await Sejuani's signature. She did, and he let her go on alone.

When she came down to Doris' cell, a guard was speaking with her. "But ma'am, you're…you're the pride of the entire Royal Guard. We all aspire to be like you. You couldn't have-."

"Facts remain regardless of what you believe. Now do your job and keep your opinions contained."

"Ma'am if you asked me right now to-."

"Silence! I will not tolerate a corrupt guard. Remain steadfast and uphold the law. If you respect me so much than just do it. **I've committed a crime. I have to be punished. It's the law.**"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Well…come on in. And you guard can leave us be, I'm sure she intended to speak with me alone." Doris sounded content now.

The guard took one last look at Doris, who had faced into her cell. "Yes, ma'am." He walked past Sejuani, but close enough to say, "Ain't right."

She replied. "Agreed." And came up to the cell door. When the guard was gone she asked, "Did you two always make a habit out of doing that during the day?"

Doris sighed as she turned around. "Astraea knew this wasn't full on war. She knew the people needed to see a real test of their princess and you. We were discussing sending you two out to lead two divisions against the hostile tribe."

"And you were comforting her."

"We were comforting each other. Had you forgotten I had adopted you, that it was more than just bringing you into Ashe's life? It was giving you your own."

"Well…then thanks…mom." Sejuani smirked.

Doris smirked as well. "Never called me that before. Don't. Not a fan of it really."

"Of course mother." Sejuani showed teeth in her smile.

Laughing it off before becoming solemn, Doris asked, "How's she doing?"

Sejuani knew she meant Ashe. "She's delusional right now. But I love her."

"Om my!"

"What?"

"You actually just said that."

"And?"

"Felt a sting of pride there for a second. Was kinda different."

"Anyways…she's convinced she can change her mother's mind and get her to put a stop to all of this."

Doris sighed. "You didn't convince her?"

"I explained, but…I couldn't bring myself to crush her. Why now, Doris? Why did it have to happen now?"

"Useless question. Especially being that nothing that exists can be in complete chaos or order. It happened, can't be undone now."

"And…?"

"Yeah, it's what is going to happen. But I chose to know it would one day, long ago."

"Is there hope, for us?"

"I had always believed that she and I had hope, so I have much more hope that you two will be able to make it work."

"Is there anything I can do, anything you want me to bring her?"

Doris looked up with a saddened grin. "I'll never see her again, you know that. Don't torture me. And don't torture her, Ashe is already going to enough as it is."

Usually in torture the subject is subdued, not in your face.

"Enough child!" Astraea roared throughout the Royal Hall.

"NO!" Ashe replied. "You are the Queen! Don't let them do this to the one you love!"

"Silence! If someone heard you they'd-."

"They'd what?! Hear you deny your love for her?!"

"Yes!"

"Then why pretend you ever loved her? You coward!"

Astraea gripped Ashe by her arms. The princess could now see that the Queen's face was covered in liquid. "Stop please! Listen to me!"

Ashe was stunned. She just nodded, slowly.

"We both knew this could happen one day. We both knew they'd punish her. And we both agreed on what was more important. Our love versus the entire kingdom. Can't you see my pain? I know Doris is going to die. I know I will never see her again, and that I cannot hold her one last time. If I am exposed then we both die and her sacrifice is for nothing. I love her, I will not betray her love by making a scene about her and I. Please try to understand. You are not fighting a losing battle. You are refusing to surrender in a battle that has already been lost."

Ashe shook her head, as if she was trying to shed a layer of filth off of herself. "What were you two even doing? And in the Royal Hall of all places. One of the most exposed parts of the palace."

Astraea let her go. "We were discussing sending you and your Highguard out to face the hostile tribe, to test your fitness to command. Comfort was something we both needed from one another, so we sought it, and engulfed each other in it."

"Such a big risk."

"Love always is. Just look at your scenario."

"I feel no risk in being honest about my feelings."

"And that's what scares me the most, as it should you. You think you can encourage the people to accept your love for Sejuani? That they will see it as real? My word child, you'll get her killed, or the both of you. And the kingdom will fall into chaos as they try to replace you. If you love her so much more than I love Doris then keep her as far from you as possible."

"I am not afraid of my love."

"But you should fear for it. Will you be strong enough to watch her die for your love?"

"That won't happen."

"The same thing is happening right now. All it took this time was one Highnoble and a few guards to end my love life. What less will it take for yours to end from being unafraid of your peoples' wishes to have you marry for the good of the kingdom?"

"I promised her I wouldn't deny my love for her. She told me she'd never be able to forgive me."

"Then take the burdens of your mistakes to your grave and let the one you love, live freely."

"They will accept it. I know it."

"You're so sure in this moment that they'll accept us, but you must learn quickly that they never will." Astraea brought a hand up to rest on her head. "I had ordered that we be left alone. How did they even get permission to enter?"

Ashe went dead still. She couldn't move a muscle, not that that she even wanted to. "Mo-Mo-Mo-."

"Stop it child!" Astraea was trembling now. "You torture me with the desire we both have of which I have so much more for! Leave it be now. Promise me you will torture neither of us any further. Least of all her; it is her life they are taking. Not yours."

Reaching out to her mother like a terrified infant, Ashe was not continuing to argue with her mother's wishes, but instead attempting to confess her guilt for the part she played in causing all of this. "Mother, please?! I-!"

Astraea took off towards the main doors. "Enough! Is it not enough that my life is ruined, but now I must show my faithfulness to the kingdom by allowing them to sentence her to death as I ride out, uncaring, to fight the hostile tribes threatening us without her? If you care at all for our pain you must stop this. And if you care for Doris than do not make her sacrifice be an act of true love in vain." She stopped to look back at her daughter one last time. "And feel my love for you when I pray that you do not subject your own love to such a torturous ending." At that she left.

Misery and woe were expressions that could not correctly define Ashe's current state. In fact the words themselves were commonly used to do so in such cases to describe it to those witnessing what was happening. In this instance, no words existed or could by definition exist to explain the depth of pain that Ashe was experiencing in this moment. It cannot be explained or imagined or even imagined about how one could explain it. It just was, and she was living it. It was so distressing that you wouldn't even be able to believe that she could even explain it to herself, if you knew just how horrible it truly was for her.

Ashe waited in the Royal Hall, on the floor near her mother's throne, for two hours before Sejuani came in to get her arms around her. "Ashe?"

"Did you know it would never work?"

"Yes."

"Did you not hold me back because you love me?"

"Yes."

"And yet your act of love just caused me more pain. Did you know this was my fault?"

"Ashe…it wasn't because-."

"DID YOU KNOW?!" Her tone was scared and enraged.

"Yes."

"Why? If you love me, why didn't you tell me it was because of me this happened?"

"Because you had no way of knowing that this would happen. You were just trying to do your best."

"I let him go in, with guards. If he had just gone in alone he could never have proved-."

"Stop it!" Sejuani shook her. "Don't punish yourself. He still would have pushed to expose them. And it would have been worse for them both to be placed in the dungeon."

Ashe buried her head into Sejuani and began crying. "Doris isn't going to fight, yes?"

"She won't"

"And you knew?"

"We've discussed this sort of thing before."

"You all say you love me, but you leave me so ignorant of the world."

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Ashe didn't feel like she wanted to keep discussing what she didn't know or wasn't told. She felt both betrayed and felt as if she had betrayed everyone. She just let herself sob.

After another three hours had passed the Royal Hall doors opened and a procession of Military officers came through with their general at the front. Ashe wiped her tears and arose to greet them. "General. How goes the effort at the front?"

The general looked a little shaken for a man who's seen so much battle in his lifetime. "I am here to report that both divisions of troops frenzied and killed off every last person of the hostile tribe. Men, women, children. All of them. I could not contain them."

Ashe looked stunned, she turned to her Highguard to make certain this was really happening. She looked back at him. "What? What do you mean they frenzied?"

He breathed deep. "The Queen led us out there, but before we could form ranks she bolstered them with a speech and charged across the field ahead of them. They tried to catch up but she was pushing her mount at full speed, like she was racing someone. Enemy arrows brought her down before she reached them."

Ashe's heart fell down into her stomach and she instantly felt sick.

"Upon witnessing her death my men broke all ranks and proceeded to slaughter the enemy without mercy or order. Many unnecessary deaths befell our side and once their forces were depleted my men continued their fury into the settled areas and burned the huts as they spilt the blood of the innocent. I am already bringing up war crime charges against many of the officers involved in provoking my mens' vicious acts of cruelty."

Ashe slowly, but slightly shook her head as she began to feel as though she could not stand. "No, no…no…"

"I regret to inform you ma'am," The general began again, "that the Queen is dead!" He took to one knee. "Long live the Queen!" His officers and the guards followed suit in the same fashion.

In this moment Ashe fell back into what was now her throne. Sjeunai came to her side, but got a grip on herself enough to stand in the appropriate spot and not place a hand on the Queen. Even though she knew that's what Ashe needed the most right now.

Even after passing her limit in what could still be considered tolerable misery, Ashe had nothing else to react with but a loud and painful, "NO!" that everyone in the palace could hear.

Her mind was now so very frail. She could not handle any more pain. She wanted out so desperately. "Everyone leave me in peace!" She looked at Sejuani. "Everyone!"

They did so, even Sejuani who really wanted to try and help Ashe the most. Once they were gone, Ashe couldn't feel it, but it was happening, she was losing her grip on reality. 'I can't let this go on. I have to stop this, myself. And I will. No one else is going to pay for what I've done. No one.' Her own mind was convincing her that what she already knew was the truth wasn't a part of what was in fact true. She made her way out of the Royal Hall through a secret tunnel, of which she knew quite well, and went to the armory. There she grabbed a short sword that she could hide under her garments. Without drawing too much attention she walked out of the armory, dismissing the guards concerns with a wave of her hand. They had already been informed of the change in leadership so they did not argue.

As fast as she could walk she made her way down to the dungeon. Once there she abused her new powers and ordered the entire staff to vacate the area. They did, and they made no record of her visit. She quickly went down to find Doris. "Doris?"

"What are you doing here child?"

Ashe didn't quite know what to do now. Her mind blanked the moment she thought of her mother's death and how to explain that to Doris. But her shaken state forced her through it to complete the task it had made for her. "My mother, your lover, she has died in battle."

Doris fell to her knees, her head fell into her rising hands. For the first time ever, Ashe witnessed her hero, cry. It didn't faze her like it would have before her mind had stepped away from reality. She pulled the sword from out of her dress and handed it through the bars to Doris. "Take this and escape." As soon as Doris looked up and took the sword, Ashe went over to the wall and grabbed the keys.

"There's no stopping you I guess." Doris made an obviously faked smirk.

As she opened the cell door, Ashe smiled back with a face that didn't genuinely seem to be real. Almost like a mask made to look like her had replaced her appearance. "Go, quickly now. I made a clearing." Her next words came out like they were nothing. "Kill anyone who stands in your way."

"I knew I'd find you here." Sejuani's voice frightened Ashe a little.

"I thought I had you leave me alone. Get back to your post." Ashe said dismissively.

"My post is by your side."

"Then stand with me. And do as I wish." Ashe began to sound frantic.

Doris broke their conversation. "You two get lost. You can't be a part of this."

Ashe turned back to Doris. "Yes, of course. We mustn't mess up her chance to leave." She turned to Sejuani. "Let's be gone at once." Then she began walking out of the dungeon.

Sejuani gazed at Doris. She could tell Ashe had told her. What's worse is that she knew Doris wouldn't try to escape, and she had a feeling she knew what Doris' escape plans were. "Good-bye."

Doris smiled. "Never forget your love. Good-bye."

Ashe led Sejuani back to the Royal Hall. She took her seat upon the throne and began an impatient waiting ritual of sorts. "You see those doors?" She pointed at them.

Sejuani replied, biting back her feelings, "Yes."

"Any minute now, a guard is going to rush through those doors and inform me that Doris has escaped."

Sejuani could hear and almost feel the manic state Ashe was in now. It troubled her so much that she was unsure of how to repress the Queens temporary insanity. She knew Ashe was experiencing a nervous breakdown, and she knew she couldn't do much to suppress it.

"Then, oh yes, then I will inform him with much proper-ness that he is to search high and low for her. So they think I am doing my job correctly. But you wana know a secret?"

Sejuani, reluctantly, nodded.

"They'll never find her. She'll live on, forever. But you already knew that. It's Doris. And one day I'll absolve her, and she can come home and we can be together again." Ashe sounded so crazily gleeful.

Sejuani was fighting her every instinct to cry. Knowing what was happening to Ashe and what had most likely happened to Doris by now was just too much for her to bear. She feared she was on the verge of joining Ashe in a nervous meltdown and becoming just as unstable.

After a few more minutes, a trio of Guards came into the Royal Hall.

Whispering to Sejuani, Ashe said, "You see? You see? Here it comes. Now put on your most convincing face."

She was so close to it now, she could almost believe it was happening. Sejuani knew she would be driven mad within the next minute.

One of the three approached her. "My Queen, I have terrible news."

Ashe fought back a cracked smile. "Be quick about it then."

"Doris has been found dead. We believe she has killed herself."

Ashe froze as her eyes began to list around the room. "No…ahem…no…tell me she has escaped."

The guard looked perplexed. "Milady?"

"You were supposed to tell me she had escaped. And so now I instruct you to go out and search for her. So tell me she has escaped. Go on now."

From one of the other guards and then to Sejuani the reporting guard looked for answers to explain what was happening.

"Well…come on! Tell me!" Ashe sounded hysterical now. "You say, she has escaped and I tell you to go find her." Ashe gave a fake smile. "This…this whatever it is that you're saying is incorrect. Just say she has escaped."

"Milady."

"Tell me she has escaped! Say it! I order you to inform me that Doris has escaped!" She turned to Sejuani. "What is the matter with him?! Will you get him to do this right!? Make him say the correct words!"

"Leave us at once!" Sejuani roared in desperate sorrow.

"NO, NO! He needs to say it correctly first! Then I will respond in turn to him!"

"Get out!" Sejuani demanded.

It confusion the guards made their way out.

"Okay." Ashe held up her hands. "Now go out there and tell them to come back and do this correctly. Will you, please?" Ashe sounded annoyed.

Sejuani lifted Ashe from her seat and slapped her across the face hard enough to launch her back down into the throne. "STOP IT!"

"They're not saying the right thing!" Ashe put one hand on her face while she waved the other around to express her words.

Again Sejuani pulled her up to slap her back down again. "STOP IT! THEY'RE GONE! THEY'RE BOTH GONE!"

Ashe ignored the throbbing pain in her face and gripped Sejuani by the collar as her face contorted. "No! No! Mother's just-." That reality had already sunk in, so she didn't need to experience that again, but she did. "Doris! Doris is just fine! I gave her a weap-." Ashe choked up on her own words as the truth fell down around her and encircled her once more. She looked up into what could have been a mirrored reflection of the pain that was on her own face. "I killed them." Ashe sucked in air to try and stop herself but the words came out to fast.

Sejuani shook her head. "Don't! Stop! You can't blame yourself! They wouldn't want you to! Don't!"

Ashe began to sob uncontrollably. "I killed them both! I killed my mother! And then I killed Doris! AHH! Kill me! Kill me before I kill you!"

"NO!" Sejuani pulled her in tight. "I won't and you can't die! You can't die and let it all be for nothing!"

"KILL ME!"

Sejuani was so scared. So scared out her mind she didn't see a way out of this. So she just went with the only thing that made the most sense for them. "Run away with me!"

"What?!" Ashe stopped her rant to push back and look into Sejuani's eyes.

"If you can't handle a life here anymore. If you're so scared for me. Then let's just run. Just like you said. Let's go!"

Ashe was going to object. She was going to tell Sejuani to run away on her own. That it would save her from a life of misery. But now this idea seemed to do that so much better than anything else. "Okay. We run. And we don't look back."

Sejuani gave a little smirk. She grabbed Ashes' hand and led her out of the Royal Hall. They made their way down to the Royal stables. Bristle was there, in the same place they had first met each other.

"Bristles can carry both of us." Sejuani stated as she began saddling him and putting supplies and winter gear together on him. Winter gear for two. "The three of us will just go!"

Ashe nodded her head. She looked outside to watch for guards scrambling around the palace grounds. "Hurry!" She pleaded.

Sejuani mounted Bristle and reached down to help Ashe up. "I love you." She said as she got on.

Sejuani smiled. "I love you, too."

Out of everything that had transpired today, this moment seemed to be the greatest thing either of them had ever decided to do together. It felt right, for both of them.

They made their way across the grounds and to the front gates. "We'll have to rush through the outpost to reach the fields. Hang on!"

Ashe tightened her grip around Sejuani. "Just go up to them."

"Are you crazy? They'll try to stop us."

"No they won't. Trust me."

Sejuani looked back at Ashe. She truly did trust her, even if what she wanted to do didn't make sense.

As they approached, Sejuani heard Ashe speak so softly in her ear. "I will always love you." It made her feel so wonderful to hear it like that. Which made it all the more bittersweet when she jumped off the back of Bristle and rolled to a halt on the ground. Sejuani stopped to go get her, but what happened next put an end to her good feeling.

"Arrest Highguard Sejuani!" Ashe ordered her guards. "She has tried to abduct me!"

Now Sejuani was stuck in an insane world that she feared would ruin her. "WHAT?!"

"Get her!" One of the guards screamed as they came forward.

"You love me! And I love you! What are you doing?!" She brandished her flail and drove the guards back.

"See?! She has delusional feelings of love for me! She's gone insane from Doris' death!"

Sejuani looked down at Ashe. "Don't do this, please?!"

Ashe mouthed in pain, 'RUN!' before ordering her guards, "I hereby decree that Sejuani is a treasonous criminal and unfit to be my Highguard! Arrest her so that she may stand trial for her crimes!"

"You love me! You promised me! Don't do this!"

"Ha!" Ashe laughed like she meant it. "I've never loved you! That was your delusion! She's been carrying it around for so long, she believed it! Don't let her fool you! She's dangerous!"

"Stop it now! Stop it now, say you love me, and I'll forgive this! I promise! I'll even give you what you want! What you've always wanted the most from me! Don't do this!" Sejuani couldn't accept this. This was the moment she understood to be the most defining point in her love for Ashe.

Ashe looked so very hurt through her fake face. "What I want most…" She pushed the words out to sound sincere, "…is to see you hanged!"

Sejuani turned from terrified to enraged. She knew Ashe was faking it, but it still hurt. It still hurt to hear her deny it, when she swore she never would. "Fuck you! Fuck you all! Your Queen will dam your entire Kingdom!" She couldn't even tell if her own words were fake to play her part in all of this, or if this was how she really felt now; but she did know that all of this was over. Clearing a path she made a break for the gate, and without looking back she broke through and made her way away from the palace grounds, with incredible haste.


End file.
